In this issue...

• MEPA Updated Regulations: Comments Accepted Until Nov. 10th

• Housing Committee Meeting Thursday: Modular Construction

• Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office Technical Assistance Programs

• Draft Water Resources Vision and Priorities Statement Open for Comment

• CLOSING THURSDAY: 495/MetroWest Partnership Annual Conference Sponsorship Opportunities

MEPA Updated Regulations: Comments Accepted Until Nov. 10th

Last month, the Governor announced proposed reforms to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process, including new draft regulations that will speed up environmental review times from 1 year or more down to 30 days. The shortened review period is intended to reduce the cost of housing development.

The proposed changes come in response to the recommendations laid out in the Unlocking Housing Production Commission’s final report, Building for Tomorrow, which was released earlier this year. Specifically, the report recommended that the state identify opportunities to expedite housing developments under MEPA, while still maintaining environmental safeguards and community engagement.

Housing developments that meet the qualifying criteria will be able to move quickly through review by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office. Rather than requiring developments to undergo a detailed Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the proposed regulations will allow qualifying housing developments to complete MEPA review with only the simpler Environmental Notification Form (ENF), reducing the review process down to 30 days. Requirements for advance notice and community outreach will still be maintained.

To qualify for the streamlined process, housing developments must meet the following criteria:

• At least 67 percent of a project must be for a residential purpose, with the remainder being used for related commercial uses.
• Must meet certain unit per acre thresholds for different types of housing.
• Projects may alter up to 5 acres of undeveloped land, or up to 10 acres with a tree preservation and replanting plan while avoiding priority habitat, prime farmland, and carbon rich forest.
• All new developments must be constructed outside the current floodplain and other highest hazard areas, and redevelopment projects must build outside highest hazard areas and follow resilient design principles.
• Projects must comply with energy efficiency standards set out in the stretch code.
• There must be enough water supply, wastewater capacity, and energy infrastructure to support the project.
• Developments must limit the extent of new traffic, with higher thresholds if located near transit.

Comments and public feedback on the draft regulations are being accepted until 5 PM on November 10th, 2025. Click here for more information. 

Housing Committee Meeting Thursday:

Modular Construction

The Housing Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership will meet virtually this Thursday, October 30th at 8:30 AM for a conversation about modular/ prefabricated housing construction. Modular housing, also referred to as factory-built, system-built, or prefabricated housing, is a construction method that builds homes in factory-controlled environments before transporting prefabricated sections to building sites for assembly. The Commonwealth has identified modular housing as a key strategy to address the state's housing shortage in its Unlocking Housing Production Commission report. Attendees will hear from representatives of modular/ prefabrication companies about their approaches, experiences in the region, and potential for expanded use of this construction method. This will be a virtual meeting taking place via Zoom; click here to register.

Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office Technical Assistance Program

The Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) has launched technical assistance programming to help Massachusetts communities access and manage federal funding. Among them are the Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance Grant Program (MTTA). The MTTA is a competitive grant program for municipalities and federally recognized tribes, regional organizations composed solely of municipal governments, and development authorities pursuing federal funding. Eligible uses include grant writing, project scoping and financial analysis, planning and feasibility studies, demonstration activities, tax assistance, and post-award grant management support. Applicants must be compliant with the MBTA Communities Law unless exempt and must be overseeing projects seeking or managing federal funds in infrastructure, climate, housing, and economic development. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Click here to access the application.

Draft Water Resources Vision and Priorities Statement

Open for Comment

The 495/MetroWest Partnership is engaging our stakeholders in the process of developing a Vision and Priorities statement for the organization on the topic of water resources. Our approach to economic development holds that our region’s transportation, housing, water, energy, and workforce resources are key to supporting strong businesses and continued growth; we advocate for our regional needs on these key issues to foster a climate that is desirable for both businesses and residents. Having updated our organizational Vision and Priorities on Transportation in 2023 and Housing in 2024, the Partnership seeks to establish clearly our Water Resources aims in 2025/2026. Click here to access a draft water resources Vision and Priorities statement for the 495/MetroWest Partnership, developed by organization staff and first presented to the Water Resources Committee on October 16th.

This is a draft document being circulated for discussion purposes only; it has not been adopted by the Partnership’s Board of Directors and does not represent the official position of the organization at this time. Comments on this draft may be submitted via email to Executive Director Jason Palitsch at Jason@495Partnership.org. Comments are being accepted through the end of November 2025; please note that anonymous comments will not be considered. 

CLOSING THURSDAY:

495/MetroWest Partnership Annual Conference

Sponsorship Opportunities

The 495/MetroWest Partnership will host its Annual Conference this year on Friday, December 12th from 8:30 to 10:30 AM at the Hilton Garden Inn Boston/ Marlborough! Join us as we convene over 125 top decision-makers in business, government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector from across the region to tackle the infrastructure challenges shaping our future. 

This year’s policy theme is Infrastructure to Support Growth, focusing on the region’s water, sewer, and energy needs in the context of meeting state housing production goals and supporting economic activity.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available until the close of the business day this Thursday, October 30th; click here to learn more. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, VHB! Individual event tickets will go on sale on Friday.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if the 495/MetroWest Partnership can be of any assistance to you:

Jason Palitsch, Executive Director

(774) 760-0495

Jason@495Partnership.org

Thank you for your continued commitment to strengthening our region.