Through the Massachusetts Housing Partnership’s (MHP) MBTA Zoning Compliance Technical Assistance (3A-TA) program, VHB is working with several towns to assist with rezoning to comply with the new MBTA Communities Act. Addressing the state’s housing shortage, this law requires that towns and cities in Massachusetts that have (or border communities with) MBTA rapid transit, commuter rail, or bus service must rezone to allow for more multi-family housing.
Our team helped the Towns of Sudbury, Burlington, Hanson, Hanover, and Kingston by identifying district locations using GIS data, completing the state’s compliance model, and drafting zoning language. We also created district visualizations and marketing materials to educate the public about compliance requirements and consequences of non-compliance. VHB is helping the Town of Burlington prepare an Economic Feasibility Assessment for submission to MHP with respect to the Town’s policy that 15 percent of each residential project’s units must be affordable in the new multi-family zoning district. In June 2024, Burlington and Sudbury adopted the MBTA Communities zoning through their respective Town Meetings.
VHB's understanding of this critical program has helped municipalities meet compliance requirements with ease and has enabled our developer clients to quickly identify sites for transit-oriented development opportunities.
