Housing Headlines

BEVERLY --- The developer who has a 99-year lease to build on MBTA land has proposed to construct three stories of housing atop the train station's parking garage on Rantoul Street. Sarah Barnat of Barnat Development said the 70 new apartments would be "a creative and thoughtful way of adding more units around the train station.” Barnat's company previously devoped the 67-unit Holmes building on land in front of the garage. That project was finished in 2019.

IPSWICH --- In urging readers to see the state's new MBTA multifamily zoning law as a golden opportunity to add reasonably priced housing and revitalize downtown, Editor John Muldoon also took a not-so-subtle shot at residents whose tendency is to be against anything that has to do with housing growth. Muldoon wrote, "If you want to cause a giant hullabaloo in this town, all you need to do is threaten to stick a shovel in the ground. Before you know it, you’ll be surrounded by NIMBYs and busybodies while a Greek chorus stands off to the side keening about “turning our little town into a city.”

HOPKINTON --- Members of the Hopkinton Planning Board say the percentage of affordable housing has dropped dramatically, from 14 percent to 10.9 percent. At a recent planning board meeting Principal Planner John Gelcich said that developers being allowed to make a payment to the town in lieu of providing affordable housing units is one reason. Payments are managed by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board. Gelcich said the board may explore ways to use the funds to address the drop in affordable housing.

FRAMINGHAM --- Framingham City Council has approved raising the minimum percentage of affordable housing units on future multi-unit housing proposals from 10% to 13%. Last year, Framingham reported that 10.7% of its housing stock was considered affordable, narrowly above the statewide threshold.

HYANNIS --- Barnstable officials have cleared the way for housing development at the Cape Cod Mall, recently approving a request from mall owners, Simon Property Group, to increase building height limits and rezone the property for apartments, hotels and office uses.

WATERTOWN --- Now that the state has allowed for the city to focus its MBTA zoning compliance efforts on Watertown Square, local officials have begun discussing how it will designate at least 24 acres for 1,700 units of multifamily housing. Officials hope to use the new law to spark a wider conversation about the planning process for the square, which is heavily serviced by MBTA buses. As an MBTA "adjacent community," Watertown must comply by Dec. 31, 2024.