Housing Headlines

NORWOOD --- The selectmen and Zoning Board of Appeals are disputing a state opinion that the town has not yet gained greater control over Ch. 40B applications by having affordable housing on 1.5 percent of its land.

ANDOVER --- The Andover Community Trust has stepped forward to oversee the resale of a permanently affordable condominium after the family that had been living there outgrew it. The condo, located in Abbot Pond Condominium development, is listed for $168,192 and can be bought by an income-eligible individual or family.

WINCHESTER --- Neighbors continued to voice their concerns about a developer's bid for a Ch. 40B permit to build 95 units of housing, focusing this time on the size of a tot lot and whether the town's fire department could gain access to the property in the event of a fire. In response to fire safety concerns, Fire Chief John Nash said the building meets state code and would have better access than many other buildings in town.

PROVINCETOWN --- Selectmen voted recently to allow year-round homeowners to get a real estate tax exemption that will lower their tax bills while part-time residents will have to pay more. Provincetown is the fourth town on the Cape to do this, joining Barnstable, Nantucket and Tisbury.

The Berkshire Eagle ran an editorial criticizing special town meeting voters in Dalton for voting to repeal a previously approved plan to convert the old high school into affordable apartments, saying it gave the town "a black eye that will not fade quickly."

DALTON --- The Berkshire Housing Development Corporation's plans to redevelop the former Dalton High School into 33 affordable apartments was blocked recently as voters at a tense special town meeting voted down the plan 135-127 after a heated discussion neighborhood impacts versus creating homes for lower-income households.