Image courtesy of Cube 3

Boston-based developer The Davis Cos. is seeking approval of 289-unit development following a state board’s ruling that Medford is subject to the Chapter 40B affordable housing law.

The Residences on Fellsway proposal, which had been stalled by a legal dispute with the city of Medford since 2020, redevelops a former brick manufacturing complex currently used for self-storage at 970 Fellsway through a combination of adaptive reuse and new construction.

The state Housing Appeals Board recently ruled that Medford is not exempt from the Chapter 40B affordable housing law, which allows development projects including income-restricted housing units to override local zoning. The board disagreed with the city’s calculations that low- and moderate-income housing occupies more than 1.5 percent of its land area, which would have qualified it for a safe harbor provision.

Davis Cos. resubmitted the plans Nov. 6 to the Zoning Board of Appeals. 

The project would retain 127,000 square feet of the existing industrial building, which includes self-storage space, and construct a new 5-story apartment building above a single-story parking garage. An additional 11 buildings containing 3-story townhouses are proposed along the Myrtle Street side of the property.

To comply with Chapter 40B, the project would reserve 25 percent of units for households earning at or below 80 percent of area median income.