Housing Headlines

MILFORD --- Already approved to build 242 apartments in a largely undeveloped business park, Gutierrez Company surprised the Zoning Board of Appeals recently by asking for 396 apartments for phase 2, 100 more than had been previously indicated. Guttierrez representative Israel Lopez said it would help the town keep its percentage of affordable housing over 10 percent but ZBA members seemed unmoved. “I feel a little bit blindsided,” Robert Capuzziello said. “I’m not in favor of doing this tonight.”

WINCHESTER --- In moves reported as efforts to maintain control over downtown development, Winchester Town Meeting voted in November to authorize the town to purchase three downtown parcels and also voted to permit the leasing of another property near the train station to CIVICO Development, which has been picked by the select board to create a 60-unit mixed-income rental development.

BOSTON --- Concerned about the number of requests to turn basements into apartments, Boston's Zoning Board denied requests to do so in East Boston and Charlestown. "We're seeing so many of these basements in Eastie that just don't make sense," board Chairwoman Christine Araujo said.

WESTBOROUGH --- Led by a nucleus of committed residents and a web site designed to help the community understand the issue, Westborough Town Meeting voted on Nov. 7 to adopt a housing trust and to support it with $642,000 in town funds. The vote capped a year-long effort by an affordable housing working group that worked with the community to set priorities. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership provided staff support and funding for the web site to help the working group keep the community abreast of its activities.

The lack of affordable housing is one of the many things that the pandemic has exacerbated and assistance programs tailored for COVID-19 relief won't be enough to stymie the impending crises of homelessness and housing affordability, writes op-ed writer Abdallah Fayyad for the Boston Globe. Fayyad says what's needed is an ambitious long-term plan that includes building more affordable housing and increasing funding for housing vouchers.

BOLTON --- Selectmen seemed initially positive to a proposal by Wood Partners to develop part of an office park into 276 mixed-income apartments. A national developer that has built several properties in Massachusetts, Wood would develop the property by applying to the town for a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit. The project would be called Alta Nashoba Valley. Wood has built other projects with that brand name in Arlington, Boston, Hopkinton, Framingham, Melrose, Stoneham, Stoughton, Walpole, and Watertown,