Kevin Sullivan
On Wednesday, June 21st at 7 pm at the Beech Street Center, and via Zoom (preregistration is required for Zoom), the Town of Belmont is inviting members of the community to weigh in on a new state law that will increase multi-family dwellings in Belmont. [Belmont Media Center recorded the meeting for viewing now.]
The law, knows as “Section 3A” was passed in 2021 in response to the housing crisis in Massachusetts. The state adopted multi-family zoning requirements for communities that are serviced by the MBTA, including Belmont.
The new “Section 3A” regulation requires communities that are serviced by the MBTA to zone districts in which multi-family homes may be built “as of right.” Communities must meet size and density minimums and housing must be located no more than a half mile from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station.
If communities fail to meet these new standards they will not be eligible for funds from the Housing Choice Initiative, the Local Capital Projects Fund, or the MassWorks infrastructure program.
Belmont, as a community serviced by the MBTA, is now in the process of understanding and working to comply with “Section 3A”. The Town of Belmont has formed the MBTA Communities Advisory Committee (MCAC) with co-Chairs Rachel Heller (Housing Trust) and Roy Epstein (Select Board), Clerk Thayer Donham (Planning Board), and members Paul Joy (Economic Development Committee), Drew Nealon (Historic District Commission), and Julie Wu (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Implementation Committee).
Their plan is to create a community-driven effort to establish a vision and develop zoning recommendations that will expand housing opportunities and comply with the multifamily zoning requirement for MBTA communities.
MCAC will meet with community members to hear feedback on how Belmont should approach developing new zoning regulations. The public forum is open to all, and there will be an “office hours” on “Section 3A” on Tuesday, June 20th to learn more information on the legislation, before the public forum on Wednesday June 21st at the Beech Street Center (link to register for office hours).
