VHB is supporting the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) in two key programs under their Complete Neighborhoods Initiative. This initiative supports the goals of the Healey Administration and the Massachusetts legislature to encourage the development of multi-family housing near transit hubs, employment opportunities, and essential services. VHB is involved in both the Complete Neighborhoods Partnership and the MBTA Zoning Compliance Technical Assistance (3A-TA) program.
Complete Neighborhoods Partnership
The Complete Neighborhoods Partnership program concentrates technical assistance, resources, and investments within designated districts over multiple years to support the creation of mobility-rich, mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhoods. The program is available to all communities in the Commonwealth. VHB has assisted several towns through this initiative, including Deerfield, Whately, and Montague.
Deerfield
The Town of Deerfield is in the process of re-envisioning its municipal campus. VHB conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders, and the broader community, and prepared concept plans representing key project components, which include a new, 35-unit age-restricted housing development, and also including pedestrian paths and open space amenities. This visioning exercise will enable the Town to solicit developer participation and advance the initiative.
Whately
The Town of Whately owns a previously developed four-acre parcel that is now vacant. VHB performed site due diligence, including a wetlands analysis and environmental conditions assessment. VHB created three alternative concept plans, each offering a unique arrangement of multi-unit residential developments that utilizes the space and encourages placemaking in a rural setting.
Montague
Montague, situated in Franklin County, is a rural town comprising five villages, including Montague City. Following the closure of Farren Hospital, a primary economic and community hub, the Town sought a fresh development plan for the eight-acre site that will integrate proposed community spaces, multi-family housing, and small-scale commercial development connected to nearby Turners Falls and Greenfield via an existing bus route. VHB prepared a report summarizing stakeholder and public feedback, displaying conceptual options for a new “village center,” assessing market trends for residential and commercial development, and outlining recommended next steps for the Town in terms of zoning changes, funding strategies, and local/regional partnerships.
MBTA Zoning Compliance Technical Assistance (“3A-TA”)
VHB is also assisting five towns in eastern Massachusetts through MHP’s MBTA Zoning Compliance Technical Assistance program, which provides training, online resources and technical assistance to MBTA Communities required to meet the new multi-family zoning requirements (Section 3A of MGL c. 40A) enacted by the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC). VHB is one of several pre-qualified consultants providing direct technical assistance through an initial round of 3A-TA grant awards. Services include siting and mapping the district, establishing dimensional and density requirements using the state’s compliance model, generating zoning language for the new overlay district(s), and supporting public engagement efforts with district visualizations and informational material. VHB is working with the Towns of Burlington, Hanson, Kingston, Hanover, and Sudbury.
