"The town recently surpassed the state threshold of 10% affordable housing, making it eligible for "Safe Harbor" - a status that would give local officials the power to deny or scale back so-called 40B projects that would otherwise bypass zoning rules. If Saugus secures Safe Harbor, the Zoning Board of Appeals could block the project despite the broad authority of Chapter 40B, a law originally designed to spur affordable housing construction across Massachusetts."
"But after several new projects, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities notified the town that as of Nov. 7, 2025, Saugus now exceeds the state's 10% threshold, reaching 11.22% affordable housing. Attorney Paul Haverty of Blatman, Bobrowski, Haverty, and Silverstein LLC, representing the owner at the hearing, noted that they plan to appeal to the EOHLC. However, if denied, it might not make sense to move forward, Haverty said."
Developers are proposing a 300-unit rental complex on the long-vacant former Weylu's site on Route 1 in Saugus. The town has surpassed the state's 10% affordable housing threshold and now qualifies for Safe Harbor, which grants local officials authority to deny or scale back Chapter 40B projects. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities reported Saugus reached 11.22% affordable housing as of Nov. 7, 2025. The proposal describes four separate buildings, each with 300 units, an amenity building with a pool, and 475 parking spaces on a 7.28-acre site. Residents voiced opposition at a hearing. The owner is registered to Joseph DiNanno and Republic Real Estate Advisors; the owner's attorney plans to appeal to the EOHLC but warned the applicant may not proceed if the appeal fails.
Read at Boston.com
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