Noncompliant communities are grappling with next steps after the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the MBTA Communities Act and the state housing office issued new deadlines for previously uncooperative communities.
MBTA Communities
Posted inHousing
New emergency regulations restart the clock for resistant MBTA communities
Non-compliant MBTA Communities – which now includes Needham – will
Posted inTransportation
Healey task force turns to existing tax to boost MBTA, transportation infrastructure
Healey administration officials are attempting to deploy millionaires tax revenue in a way that was first tested on a smaller scale last year.
Posted inThe Codcast
SJC lays down the law on MBTA Communities
Commonwealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith chats with Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Regional Chamber, and Luc Schuster, executive director of Boston Indicators at the Boston Foundation. They discuss how the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling on the MBTA Communities Act impacts the state’s power to mandate zoning reform in cities and towns.
Listen to past Codcasts on this topic: ‘Milton’s dilemma in the face of housing reform’ (10/13/24) , ‘AG Andrea Campbell talks local power and gambling boom’ (4/14/24) , ‘MBTA Communities panel splits over state vs. local control’ (4/7/24)
Posted inHousing
An MBTA Communities reality check
Days after the SJC ruled on the MBTA Communities Act, proponents consider the way the housing law was pitched and debated. Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Regional Chamber, and Luc Schuster, executive director of Boston Indicators at the Boston Foundation.
Posted inHousing
State, municipalities prepare for next steps on MBTA Communities law
As the state prepares new regulations in response to the Supreme Judicial Court ruling on resistance to the MBTA Communities housing law, the attorney general says she expects municipalities to start complying.
Posted inHousing
SJC says attorney general can enforce MBTA Communities Act, but state must rework regs
The state housing office must re-issue its MBTA Communities law guidelines, after the Supreme Judicial Court held that the attorney general can enforce the sweeping housing law as long as the guidelines are promulgated correctly.
Posted inHousing
Winthrop rejects MBTA Communities zoning plan
With the December 31 MBTA Communities Act deadline fast approaching for 129 cities and towns, the Winthrop town council has rejected the only viable zoning plan that would allow the community to comply with the law, which was passed to help alleviate the housing shortage plaguing Massachusetts.
Posted inHousing
Lawmakers say they meant for MBTA Communities law to have teeth
“What I found interesting was what the case was not about,” zoning expert and consultant Amy Dain said on The Codcast. “The justices and the lawyers in the courtroom were not debating whether there’s a housing crisis. “
Posted inThe Codcast
Milton’s dilemma in the face of housing reform
This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by state Sen. Brendan Crighton of Lynn, along with zoning expert and consultant Amy Dain. They discuss the MBTA Communities Act in light of recent arguments before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Milton’s failure to comply. This episode examines the necessity of multi-family zoning to tackle the growing housing crisis, how the bill was designed, and understanding its role in a larger economic development package.
Posted inHousing
SJC raises questions about MBTA Communities Act penalties
There seemed to be a mixed reception to the arguments on Monday, with some justices inclined to parse legal minutiae that could support a narrow ruling on technical grounds. Others appeared compelled by a broader public policy argument that could allow wide latitude for the state to enforce laws designed to address the crippling housing shortage.
Posted inHousing
75 municipalities now on board with MBTA Communities law
The event came after the town of Southborough, a Worcester County community that has a stop on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line, narrowly voted to approve its multifamily zoning plan, making it a total of 75 communities “acting in good faith to follow the law,” according to Campbell.
Posted inHousing
Milton developing contingency MBTA rezoning plans
According to scenarios outlined in the slides, the primary goal of the new rezoning effort is to reduce the impact on East Milton and an adjacent area bordering Granite Avenue and increase the number of housing units that could be built in the area of Eliot Street, which borders the trolley line.
Posted inTransportation
Arlington official tells MBTA board town deserves better
“Here’s the bottom line. For $3.4 million a year, we shouldn’t be ignored. We deserve a seat at the table,” Paul Schlichtman said. “If we don’t get adequate transit, we’re just going to suffer from a horrible case of car constipation, so let’s get started on a Red Line extension.”
Posted inHousing
20 groups weigh in on MBTA Communities Act case
The key issue in the case is whether Campbell can compel compliance when the MBTA Communities Act statute itself is silent on her enforcement power and specifically mentions the loss of grant funds as the penalty for noncompliance.
Posted inHousing
Milton makes interesting case on MBTA Communities Act
“This is a case about the separation of powers and the rule of law—about who sets the rules that govern the Commonwealth and how they do so,” says the Milton brief.
Posted inHousing
AG issues ‘friendly’ warning on MBTA rezoning
“A few reminders from your friendly Attorney General: 1) The MBTA Communities law is a critical tool in solving our state’s housing crisis. 2) Compliance with our laws isn’t optional. 3) The majority of communities are taking steps to come into compliance.”
Posted inHousing
Winthrop is latest front in MBTA Communities fight
Winthrop is emerging as the next battlefront in the effort to address the state housing shortage through the MBTA Communities act, with residents there bridling at the state mandate to approve new zoning for multi-family housing.
