There’s a lot to digest with the MBTA Communities Zoning article coming up for a vote at this year's Town Meeting on Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Medfield High School gym.
Here are two chances to learn more, ask questions, and become better informed far in advance of the meeting:
Public hearings via Zoom
1. Thursday, March 28 (6:30 p.m. bylaw review, 7:30 p.m. public hearing)
2. Monday, April 1 (7:30 p.m.)
(Do you plan to attend? Would an in-person information session before Town Meeting be helpful? Your feedback here will be relayed to town officials.
Questions can also be directed to Maria De La Fuente, Director of Land Use and Planning; phone 508-906-3027).
Three quick takeaways
-
MBTA Communities Act only requires special zoning to be created -- there is no town mandate to build housing.
-
Towns retain a certain amount of control over what gets built and where under MBTA Communities Zoning, and no land is taken against an owner's will because of the law.
-
Towns become ineligible for state funds due to failure to enact MBTA Communities Zoning by their deadline (Dec. 31, 2024 for Medfield).
Much is at stake with MSH
As noted by Abby Goldenfarb, VP at Trinity Financial, the firm charged with redeveloping the former Medfield State Hospital (MSH) site, “It is imperative that the Town prioritizes compliance with the state housing law requirements imposed by the MBTA Communities Act.”
In a recent letter to the Select Board, Goldenfarb explained that if a successful town meeting vote is not achieved -- as mandated by law -- the town will no longer be eligible for the millions of dollars of state grants on which Trinity depends for creation of MSH infrastructure and other redevelopment needs.
Town officials have acknowledged that the new law has created unique challenges for Medfield – a town that has been diligently increasing affordable housing, and created the MSH redevelopment master plan to help achieve its objectives. It has taken more than 10 years for the MSH vision to come to fruition.
“We realize there has been some frustration with the mandate, but the upcoming vote is not the time for any of us to be tilting windmills. For Medfield especially, so much of our state hospital progress is on the line if we do not comply with the new law,” said Select Board member Gus Murby at a recent forum. “Thanks to the work of the Planning Board, we have a solid path forward that will allow us to adhere to the mandate, while still respecting the character of our town.”
|