Lexington Scales Back MBTA Communities Zoning After Deluge Of Multifamily Proposals
The town of Lexington voted to scale back its state-mandated zoning plan after it proved too successful at attracting developer interest, generating applications for hundreds of new housing units.
In a 164-9 vote at a town meeting special session this week, residents voted to cut down zoning capacity from nearly 13,500 units to just 2,411, The Lexington Observer reported.
The vote came after more than 1,097 housing units were proposed through the town's MBTA Communities zoning in a two-year span. The MBTA Communities Act required the nearly 180 municipalities served by or near Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority lines to encourage more multifamily housing along transit corridors.
The call to amend the zoning bylaw followed a petition spearheaded by resident Carol Sacerdote. She argued that the town's zoning had gotten out of hand and needed to be reassessed to develop in a smarter, more organized fashion.
“We realized that the town needed to do more planning to accommodate that kind of growth,” Sacerdote said at the meeting. “We need to slow down the growth to be able to provide services and infrastructure for the increased population.”
The plan limiting capacity was recommended by the Lexington Planning Board, which voted 5-0 in favor of the new MBTA zoning districts on March 12.
Eight districts that were previously a part of Lexington's plan have been removed, cutting the area open for by right multifamily development from 227 acres to approximately 90 acres. The law will allow the 1,097 units already proposed to continue development.
One of the districts that had been hotly contested was Lexington Center, which some argued needed more multifamily housing and would help the town meet its sustainability goals by reducing “single-use” transit in the area. However, that district was taken out of the original zoning bylaw.
Lexington was one of the first municipalities to comply with the MBTA Communities Law in 2023. It was praised for its efforts, adopting a plan that called for 10 times the state's required unit capacity. But the wave of proposed new units that ensued was more than the town bargained for.
“The response has been intense,” Sacerdote said. “The minimal dimensional controls and the absence of density limits have resulted in projects that will be larger and more impactful than expected.”
One project is already under construction. FK Partners broke ground late last year on its 32-unit development at 89 Bedford St., the first-ever MBTA Communities project to begin construction.
Other Lexington projects include BXP's 312-unit multifamily development at 17 Hartwell Ave. and SGL Development's 319-unit development on Militia Drive near Lexington Center.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities originally said Lexington should rezone at least 50 acres, but the town approved 227 acres across 12 districts. The plan received 63% support from residents at the time, The Lexington Observer reported.
But opposition to the law has been fierce in recent months, with six cities trying to avoid compliance and some filing lawsuits against the state, most recently Winthrop.
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has also pushed back on the law, calling it an “unfunded mandate” last month.
