Housing Headlines

CHELMSFORD --- Attorney William Harvey's five-unit 40B now moves onto the zoning board of appeals selectmen gave their initial approval following some spirited debate about the size of the proposal during a recent selectmen's meeting.

TRURO --- A warrant for the April 26 town meeting will ask voters to authorize selectmen to buy four acres from the state Dept. of Transportation for affordable housing. The land is located at the intersection of Rt. 6 and Highland Road and the town would use it to construct at least 16 units of affordable housing.

CONCORD --- At the Trinity Episcopal Church's 12th annual forum on family homelessness, state Undersecretary for Housing Chrystal Kornegay discussed the lack of multifamily housing, saying that zoning regulations from town to town are hampering the production of multi-family housing. To emphasize her point, she noted that 207 of the state's 351communities haven't permitted any multifamily housing in the last 10 years.

\SOUTHBOROUGH — The Zoning Board of Appeals is sticking to its decision to grant two conservation waivers for the 180-unit Park Central Ch. 40B housing development on Rte. 9, despite hearing from the Conservation Commission about not being able to weigh in.

Noting that "every day, 13 acres of forests and farmland are being lost to low-density, residential sprawl," the Cape Cod Times has editorialized in support of "An Act Promoting the Planning and Development of Sustainable Communities" which would update Massachusetts laws and is aimed at encouraging more housing and mixed-use developments.

CAMBRIDGE --- The Cambridge Housing Authority has plans to use proceeds from a $30.8 million bond from MassDevelopment to demolish and reconstruct the Jefferson Park apartments in North Cambridge. The project will create a 104-unit affordable multifamily housing complex, with 32 one-bedroom units, 53 two-bedroom units and 19 three-bedroom units.