Housing Headlines

BRIDGEWATER --- In response to Gov. Deval Patrick's request that towns in the southestern part of the state designate growth areas in advance on a proposed rail expansion, the Town of Bridgewater has designed the downtown area for growth as well as the former Claremont Property near Rt. 104.

NORTON --- Selectmen have unanimously voted to allow a new town meeting warrant article that would allow the town to seek special Norton-only legislation that would allow Norton to count over 400 units that it has permitted to be built through the state's affordable housing law known as 40B. The 400 units would put the town over the 10 percent threshold but they cannot be counted yet because builders have not yet applied for building permits. The law would ask the legislature to let the town count the permits even though the building permits have not been secured.

SOUTHAMPTON --- Concerned about the lack of affordable housing for young families and the elderly, the planning board and local housing authority have joined forces to file an inclusionary zoning proposal that would require developers to provide affordable units for projects of five units or more.

HARVARD --- The town's affordable housing trust recently briefed selectmen on two sites that it has identified as suitable for affordable housing. The trust has signed initial purchase and sale agreements on a 15-acre property at 361 Ayer Road and a larger property at 166 Littleton Road. The trust has proposed that the Ayer Road site be developed into family rental housing while the Littleton Road site would be developed into market-rate and affordable homeownership homes and condos.

NEWBURYPORT - Local and state housing officials gathered with bankers and community leaders yesterday to mark the groundbreaking ceremony for 10 units of affordable housing at the corner of Market and Pleasant streets developed by the YWCA Greater Newburyport.

NORTH ANDOVER --- By a 4-1 vote, selectmen rejected a non-profit's plan to redevelop the former Bradstreet School into affordable housing. The Coalition for a Better Acre - a Lowell-based nonprofit - had been the only organization to respond to the town's request for proposal and its initial plan called for razing the downtown school and replacing it with 24 units and 500 feet of commercial space. In response to earlier comments from town officials, CBA made a second proposal that would've preserved the school's facade but this version did not include commercial space. Selectmen rejected both proposals, stating they wanted to see more commercial space.