40B Reform, Dog Euthanasia and More News from Around the Region

Norton Thinking About Chapter 40B Reform

Selectmen voted 5-0 Thursday to allow a new town meeting warrant article in May that would allow the town to seek special Norton-only legislation concerning Chapter 40B, helping Norton to fill its quota.

The Chapter 40B Affordable Housing statute in Massachusetts requires at least 10 percent of the town’s available housing be what the state has deemed low-cost. Currently, Norton has 6,707 units of housing available in the town and would need 671 affordable units. Norton town counsel Ilana Quirk said the town of Norton has an additional 310 units of affordable housing in planning, but those don’t count in the SHI after a year if by that time they don’t have a building permit.

The warrant article at the special town meeting would, if passed by a counted majority, allow the town to approach state legislators with the legislation that would allow Norton to count those 310 additional units if they are allowed to get a building permit and have not yet obtained one.

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Mansfield Selectmen Decide to Euthanize Milo the Dog

Mansfield selectmen voted 3-2 to euthanize Milo the dog Wednesday after hearing from both the victim's family and the dog's family.

The dog reportedly attacked 6-year-old Christian Hebert on Jan. 3 while at the house of the dog's owner Michael Bailey.

After the vote, the Baileys said they would try to appeal the ruling in court.

The board heard statements from both sides as well as from Mansfield animal control officers Jeffrey Collins and Steve Simmons. Collins said while he met the dog only once, Milo seemed to be calm and docile in front of a stranger, but the severity and depth of the bites, based on his experience and the Dunbar system, were excessive. Collins recommended the dog be euthanized after determining the dog's aggressiveness and danger using the Ian Dunbar scale, which determines the animal's intentions by examining the number, degree and depth of the dog's bite.

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Two Easton Teens Arrested For Breaking and Entering on Washington Street

Easton Police arrested two teens Monday morning for allegedly breaking into a vacant strip plaza at 750 Washington St.

George Holyoke-Spencer, 17, of Center Street and a 15-year-old juvenile from Easton were charged with breaking and entering a building during the daytime, malicious damage to property and larceny, according to Easton Police Chief Allen Krajcik.

Krajcik said police first received a call at approximately 8:45 a.m. from a resident who reported seeing two suspicious males at the strip mall. The witness said he saw the males smash a window with a bat and gain entrance. The call resulted in the arrival of cruisers to make the arrest.

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