Marshfield currently has nearly 4% affordable housing, a figurethat is well below the required 10% and subsequently leaves themvulnerable to projects that have at least 25% affordable housing.Under Chapter 40B, developers of those projects can bypass localzoning laws.

The project was proposed for a 30-acre parcel that is currentlyzoned for business. The town has also imposed a moratorium onapartment building but, as a town official tells GlobeSt.com,because it's a 40B project "basically everything is of thetable."

The town's board of selectmen has sued in state court tooverturn the zoning board of appeals' decision to allow theproject, which involves seven buildings, to get built. The case iscurrently under appeal, but Beacon Properties, which had initiallyagreed to reduce the number of units to 180, now says that thecourt costs will force them to revert back to the original 198units. The town official points out that because the reduction wasbased on the fact that the project could be cost-effective at 180units, there's a good chance the Housing Appeals Committee willrule in their favor.