New Green Lynnfield Townhouses

According to the Boston Herald, developer Linda Pizzuti has built a 20-unit Colonial-style townhouses, featuring the latest in Green technology. The complex, known as Pyburn Mews, is one of the North Shore’s first projects to receive both Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

They are priced from $420,000 for 2-bedroom units to $580,000 for 3-bedrooms. Five townhouses will be designated as “affordable” will be sold by a special lottery. Pictured above is Unit 58, including eco-friendly elements such as strand-bamboo wood flooring, chemical-free carpeting, high-efficiency heating/cooling and Energy Star-certified windows, lights and appliances. Each townhouse’s garage even boasts a special outlet for recharging electric cars. Photo by Ted Fitzgerald.

Read the entire Boston Herald articile.

Lynnfield Appeals Board Approves Colonial Village

According to the Peabody & Lynnfield Weekly News, construction is about to get underway on the 3rd LIFE (Lynnfield Initiatives For Elders) facility in Lynnfield. In many ways, Colonial Village will be a departure from the other two existing LIFE Villages – more expensive, with access from the Meadow Walk development instead of a public way and within easy walking distance to the golf course and the shops and restaurants to be developed at Meadow Walk. 48 units are planned; 36 garden style and 12 townhouse style to be completed in October 2010.

Lynnfield Commons starts construction while other 40B projects fizzle

According to the Peabody & Lynnfield Weekly News, construction will begin shortly on the 200-unit Lynnfield Commons rental development on Route 1-North, in the rear of the Flagship Motorcars dealership.

According to the article, Lynnfield had initially attempted to block this apartment complex by passing 3 smaller condo complexes under Chapter 40B, the state’s affordable housing “anti-snob zoning” law. Currently, the 3 developments are no closer to being build than the day the permit was granted.

Read the entire Peabody & Lynnfield Weekly News article.

Lynnfield Restricting Adult Communities

Lynnfield may be the only town resticting an adult community to 60 years old or older. Due to its present agreement with the Lynnfield Intervention for the Elderly the two subsidized elder housing facilities have seniority lists for 60 years an older. In the past few years Lynnfield has been involved in the building of several adult communities. Heritage Woods is now complete and is selling upscale market rate condominiums to the 60 and over crowd. The upscale condos are selling slowly and the developers are anxious to present the question of lowering the adult community age requirement. Although the question was to be asked at last Monday's Town Meeting, the question was removed at the last minute due to the required 2 years since last voted when the developer was starting the project. Question will be moved to the Fall Town Meeting in October, it appears that LIFE administrators feel that the change would not affect adversely the town's elderly community.

October 4, 2007 Legislative Breakfast

On October 4, 2007, NSAR hosted its second Legislative Breakfast in 2007. The event was attended by State Representative Doug Petersen (D-8th Essex), Tom Damario, Aide to Representative Robert Fennell (D-10th Essex), and Josh Harold, Aide to Representative Steven Walsh (D-11th Essex).

State Senate was in session, so unfortunately Senator Thomas M. McGee (D-3rd Essex & Middlesex) and Senator Richard R. Tisei (R-Middlesex & Essex) were unable to attend.

MAR Associate Counsel Margy Grant presented the Realtor® position on the following topics:

1. New proposed Transfer Taxes (S. 1776; S. 1773; H. 3959)
2. New proposed Lead Paint law (SB. 1230)
3. New proposed mandatory Seller’s disclosure in connection with environmental issues (H. 323, S. 201)
4. New proposed mandatory disclosures for real estate licensees in connection with Wetlands (H. 767)
5. Smart Growth funding for Chapter 40R (S. 132, H. 160)

NSAR and the Government Affairs Committee extends a sincere appreciate to the legislators who participated and to all those that attended.

Next Legislative Breakfast: Thursday, October 4, 2007, 8:30am

The next North Shore Association of Realtors® Legislative Breakfast will be held on Thursday, October 4, 2007, from 8:30am to 10:00am. All NSAR members who live in Lynn, Saugus, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Swampscott, and/or Nahant are encouraged to attend.

Topics will likely include:

1. Transfer Taxes.
2. An Act Protecting Children from Poisoning (SB. 1230)
3. An Act Providing Information to Real Estate Buyers. (H. 323, S. 201)
4. An Act Relative to the Disclosure of Wetlands on Property. (H. 767)
5. An Act Relative to Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund (S. 132) and An Act Relative to Financing the Smart Growth Housing Trust (H. 160).

Click here to registry of get more information.