Stoneham Approves Housing Production Plan, Lands IT Modernization Grant
STONEHAM — Town officials approved a Housing Production Plan this week, a policy document that will guide Stoneham's approach to future housing development, while state lawmakers secured $290,000 for local priorities in the newly passed state budget.
TOWN HALL
The Housing Production Plan has been approved, according to a News Flash posted to the town website. The plan sets the framework for how Stoneham addresses housing supply and affordability going forward; the town did not release additional detail on its specific provisions or next implementation steps in the posted announcement.
Separately, Stoneham has been awarded a Community Compact IT Grant to modernize Building Department records, the town announced. The grant is aimed at updating how the department manages permitting and records. Downtown construction work that began Monday, July 6, is continuing, per the town's construction update, and the town's Wetlands Restoration Project also has a posted update available on the town website. The Stevens Street Recycling Center has posted its hours of operation, which run through November 30, and the Stoneham Town Scholarship Committee is accepting applications from residents pursuing an educational goal, with a $1,000 scholarship available; applications are due by August 3.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
The Stoneham Public Library will host its Mid-Summer Faire on Saturday, July 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The library also has a lecture on the calendar for Tuesday, July 21, "Farm Girl on the Front Lines: Deborah Sampson's Secret," running from 7 to 8 p.m., part of the library's ongoing author and speaker programming.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Representative Day and Senator Lewis Secure $290,000 for Local Stoneham Priorities in State Budget" — Patch reports that the state Legislature passed a $63.4 billion fiscal year 2027 state budget that includes $290,000 earmarked for Stoneham-specific priorities, secured by state Rep. Day and state Sen. Jason Lewis (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/stoneham/representative-day-senator-lewis-secure-290-000-local-stoneham-priorities).
"Senator Lewis and Mass. Senate Crack Down on Big Social Media Companies that Target Youth" — per Patch, the state Senate passed a bill that would restrict features like autoplay, "infinite scroll," and algorithm-driven feeds on accounts belonging to young users (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/stoneham).
COMING UP
The Stoneham Public Library holds Drop-in Tech Support on Friday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by its Friday Movie Matinee that afternoon from 1 to 4:30 p.m.