Last December in Newton, the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) was adopted by the City Council to comply with the new 2023 Massachusetts law, regarding densification in MBTA communities.
What does that mean for you and your property and it’s valuation, whether it was included or not? Please reach out to discuss.
The new 2023 Massachusetts Law:
On March 15, 2023, Massachusetts’ Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued an Advisory concerning the enforcement of the requirements imposed on cities and towns by Chapter 40A, Section 3A. The law requires that an MBTA community shall have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right, and that meets other criteria set forth in the statute. The Attorney General’s Advisory states “All MBTA Communities must comply with the Law.”
The MBTA Communities Act mandates us to zone 50 acres for multifamily housing at an as of right density of 15 units per acre.Jan 7, 2024.The new law requires that an MBTA community shall have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right and meets other criteria set forth in the statute.
- Minimum gross density of 15 units per acre
- Located not more than 0.5 miles from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station, if applicable
- No age restrictions and suitable for families with children
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities
Newton Zoning
The Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) was adopted by the City Council on December 4, 2023, as Article 9 of the zoning ordinance (Chapter 30). The VCOD is an opt-in overlay district and supersedes much of the existing zoning requirements. The VCOD allows for multifamily housing to be built by-right near seven transit stations: Auburndale, West Newton, Newtonville, Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Eliot, and Waban. The VCOD includes three separate zoning districts, Multi Residence Transit (MRT) which allows 4–6-unit residential buildings, Village Center 2 (VC2) which allows 3.5 story residential and mixed-use buildings, and Village Center 3 (VC3) which allows 4.5 story residential and mixed-use building.
Please reach out for further information: jon.kumin@cbrealty.com, 617.794.4045.
