Photo by James Sanna | Banker & Tradesman Staff
Could a pro-housing win in Needham turn into a stinging defeat? A group of residents gave gathered enough petitions to force a referendum on brand-new zoning that would allow significant new housing in the exclusive Boston suburb.
The referendum still requires formal vote by the Needham Select Board Monday evening. But according to a letter to the board, the Needham town clerk’s office has certified that the upzoning opponents’ group gathered enough signatures to put the town’s MBTA Communities zoning up for a town-wide vote.
A similar referendum sank Milton’s MBTA Communities law zoning earlier this year, causing Attorney General Andrea Campbell to sue the town to force compliance.
Town staff are proposing the election take place Jan. 14.
2.5K New Homes at Risk
While Needham was only required under the MBTA Communities law to pass zoning to allow for 1,784 multifamily units, including existing apartments, town meeting members strongly backed a plan that could instead catalyze the construction of around 2,521 new homes over 30 years.
At full build-out, the zones would include just shy of 3,300 apartments and condominiums when existing multifamily housing units are factored in.
The new homes would all be concentrated in an area around the town’s center and three of its four commuter rail stations.
Officials had presented two options to Needham Town Meeting in October: One that met the letter of the law, but would likely not generate much development, and a more expansive plan. The latter passed by a vote of 118-90, citing the need for more senior-friendly housing and more affordable housing and the school system’s ability to absorb new students.
The opponents’ group, “Needham Residents for Thoughtful Zoning,” say they don’t oppose compliance with the MBTA Communities law as such, but want the town to stick with the more conservative plan.
Biz Group Pledges Battle
In an email to supporters Friday afternoon, Charles River Chamber President and CEO Greg Reibman called the referendum “misguided.”
“The well considered Neighborhood Housing Plan was approved by Town Meeting in late October following more than a year of community engagement. It had strong support from housing advocates, environmentalists, businesses and many others,” he wrote.
The chamber and other local groups “are gearing up for a campaign to defeat this misguided referendum,” he said.
Former Gov. Charlie Baker, a Needham native, has also weighed in and urged residents to stick with the expansive vision earlier this month at an event unveiling a mural in his honor.
“if you look at all the demographic trends, the crowd we’re losing is the 25 to 35-year-olds,” he told the Needham Observer. “They’re the next generation and it’s gonna be important for us to figure out a way to create places and spaces that they can afford to do what we did. You know, build a life, create a future and become the next act.”
Towns that fail to comply with the law also lose access to several key state grant programs, including $84 million being sought by the Needham Housing Authority. In addition, Congressman Jake Auchincloss has said his office would not help towns get federal grants if they’re out of compliance.
Image courtesy of RKG Associates and Innes Associates
