Housing Headlines

QUINCY --- Saying the city has an affordable housing crisis, Ward 4 City Councilor Brian Palmucci is seeking a change in the city's zoning code that would remove an exemption that allows downtown housing developers to bypass a requirement to make at least 10 percent of their units affordable or pay equivalent fees into the city's affordable housing trust. This year, the exemption cleared the way for two downtown projects to go forward without adding units or making a payment into the trust.

WRENTHAM --- The zoning board of appeals has begun hearings on the first of three multifamily housing proposals, this one a 220-unit apartment complex near Rt. 1 and Rt. 495. Ryan Development has applied to the town for a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit. The development would be called Rosegate and would consist of four four-story apartment buildings with 102 one-bedroom units, 96 two-bedroom units, and 22 three-bedroom units. Fifty-five units would be affordable.

EASTHAM --- Richard Hayden of Stratford Capital Group is planning to present to the town his company's plan to buy a former 10-acre Rt. 6 driving range from current owner Stop & Shop and develop it into a 130-unit affordable housing units. Hayden said it would be a friendly project and wouldn't go forward if the town didn't want it.

DORCHESTER --- The DOT Block development is proceeding without a section at Dorchester Avenue and Hancock Street that was in the original proposal, developers told residents at a public meeting on Sept. 28. Since receiving community input, changes developers have made include removal of a Hancock Street entrance to the development, a townhouse design giving way to a more solid appearance, height adjustments, and the introduction of building setbacks.

BOSTON --- The Boston Housing Authority has selected Corcoran Jennison and the national developer SunCal to undertake a nearly $1 billion remake of the city's largest public housing development, according to a source. BHA officials have said their plan is to use the strong real estate market to replace its aging buildings and finance new housing for some of the poorest residents while offering up the authority's large tracts of land for market-rate development Corcoran-SunCal's proposalis to replace the current 1,100 very-low-income apartments in 41 buildings with 960 units at comparably low rents.

WHATLEY --- While voters at fall town meeting will be asked to focus on whether to spend $75,000 to stabilize the banks of the Mill River, the small town of Whatley - population 1,500, located northwest of UMass-Amherst - they will also be asked to vote on whether to rescind $58,000 in CPA funds that was supposed to be used to buy land for affordable housing. The land was bought by a private entity before the town could make its offer.