HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3730        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2291

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act allowing municipalities to appeal zoning provisions under the MBTA Communities Act.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/17/2025

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

1/17/2025

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

1/31/2025

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

3/10/2025

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

1/28/2025

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

1/30/2025

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

2/11/2025

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

3/10/2025

Norman J. Orrall

12th Bristol

3/27/2025

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

8/13/2025


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3730        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2291

By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2291) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others relative to allowing municipalities to appeal zoning provisions under the MBTA Communities Act, so-called.  Municipalities and Regional Government.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

 

An Act allowing municipalities to appeal zoning provisions under the MBTA Communities Act.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 3A of chapter 40A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: -

(d) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall develop and promulgate regulations to allow a municipality affected by the zoning provisions of this section to appeal for relief from such provisions based on one or more of the following: (1) The inability to meet the drinking water supply requirements necessary to support the housing units authorized by such provisions; (2) The inability to meet the wastewater treatment requirements necessary to support such units; (3) The inability of municipal transportation infrastructure to safely accommodate increased population attributable to housing development pursuant to such provisions; (4) Any adverse environmental impacts attributable to the developments of housing units pursuant to such provisions; or (5) Any adverse impacts on historical properties.