By Lenny Strauss
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Tuesday, January 14th, Needham residents voted in a special election to decide whether to enact a zoning plan that if implemented, would see the town as “in compliance” with the MBTA Communities Act, a controversial bill that has become a major point of discussion across the state. This vote represents a crucial part of the next steps for adding new multifamily housing to the town, which is a key requirement of the MBTA Communities Act. The bill, signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2021 states that all cities and towns that are considered “MBTA communities”, be it through their hosting of, or proximity to MBTA stations and services are required to zone an area within said town for new-multifamily housing. The law describes the need for multi-family zoning and argues that with Massachusetts dealing with the real effects of a housing crisis, with rapidly growing home prices and rents among the highest in the nation, low- and middle-income families struggle to manage the mounting financial pressures of these housing costs. A "yes" vote Tuesday would have implemented the zoning measure, bringing Needham in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, while a "no" vote would have put them in violation of the law, and a potential loss of state-funded grants. With supporters and detractors on both sides of the plan, voters decided to vote no, with 6,866 against and 4,882 in favor of the plan, overturning the proposed zoning plan and pushing it back into review. A special Town Meeting is set to be held late next month for deliberations on a new plan.
Because of the lack of zoning near transited areas, the MBTA Communities Act seeks to rectify this issue by creating zoned areas to allow for multifamily housing, which the bill argues will create better access to work services, local shops, schools, restaurants and parks, as well as a reduction of the use of single occupancy vehicles. The law stipulates that at least one reasonably sized district be zoned for multi-family housing, located no more than a half mile from the applicable MBTA station. Towns which fail to comply with the Act would no longer be eligible for several state-sponsored funds, such as the Housing Choice Initiative and Local Capital Projects fund. Needham’s decision to not comply with this law will cause them lose to access to these state grants which total over $1 million dollars.
Back in October, Needham voters approved the zoning plan that would allow for over 3,000 multi-family housing units to be built in town, putting them well over compliance with the housing law. However, a group in opposition to the zoning measure, Needham Residents for Thoughtful Zoning garnered enough signatures to trigger Tuesday’s no vote. This group argued that the zoning law failed to consider the need for senior housing, put an unnecessary strain on school capacity, a massive increase in property tax and decrease in property values, and major increases in traffic that they argued were not considered. While they remain opposed to the current zoning measure, they believe that there are steps that can be taken to ensure Needham remains in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, at a much more acceptable level.
They believe with some amendments, the base plan can be reintroduced and voted on with the issues they flag as concerns included in the new consideration. The Supreme Judicial Court, the state’s highest court recently upheld the MBTA Communities Act, stating the attorney general has the power to enforce legal action. This came after the AG sued the town of Milton, whose residents also rejected a zoning plan that left them out of compliance with the housing law. With that being said, the concerns surrounding the new plan was enough for residents to reconsider and vote against the plan, which allows for further discussion around the MBTA Communities Act as a whole, and how Needham can find the solution to bring them into compliance. Proponents from both sides of the issue continue to make their case for and against the zoning law, and this vote in Needham sets the stage to adopt a new plan to comply next month.
