Housing Headlines

BROOKLINE — Residents of South Brookline and Chestnut Hill have taken turns opposing Chapter 40B development proposals in their neighborhoods in recent weeks, with a third project in Coolidge Corner scheduled to be introduced before the Board of Selectmen early next month while a fourth project in South Brookline is hung up in court.

BURLINGTON --- In an effort to keep its affordable housing supply above 10 percent, selectmen are continuing to pursue friendly 40B housing developments, as they voted to do last year. At a meeting earlier in February, selectmen said they would continue to vet two proposals - the Davis' Companies' plans to build 200 units on Corporate Drive and National Development's plans to build 200 at the New England Executive Park off Mall Road.

WINCHESTER --- Selectmen plan to send the town's Zoning Board of Appeals a letter detailing their concerns about the size and impact of a Ch. 40B proposal that calls for 95 rental units at 416 Cambridge Street near the Woburn-Winchester town line.

SAUGUS --- With a $15,000 grant from the state Dept. of Housing and Community Development, the Town of Saugus has tapped the Metropolitan Planning Council to do a housing plan that will give the town more control over development and how to develop its new mixed-use development zone in the Rt. 1-99 corridor.

BOSTON --- Boston’s rental market may be topping out, according to new figures from online real estate marketplace Ten-X. The company -- formerly known as Auction.Com -- issued a report ranking Boston among five markets with a “sell” rating on apartment buildings right now, suggesting the boom times of recent years may be drying up.

WORCESTER - Lawyers who successfully argued last year to have the city's aggressive panhandling ordinance overturned say the city's request to drastically reduce the fees and costs the plaintiffs can recover is "meritless."