MELROSE — The City of Melrose’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) will present a proposed recodified zoning ordinance for public review and comment before a joint meeting of the Melrose City Council and Planning Board on Monday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in person in the Council Chamber with an option for remote access to public comment and will also be viewable via MMTV.
The proposed ordinance is the product of months of work and coordination among city staff, the Zoning Subcommittee of the Melrose Planning Board, and CommunityScale, an urban planning consulting firm. The city undertook this important endeavor using funding from a state Housing Choice Grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Using the grant, OPCD hired CommunityScale’s land use attorneys and planners to consult on the ordinance. These experts have extensive experience working on recodifying zoning ordinances locally and regionally.
The Melrose zoning ordinance was last rewritten in 1972, and its outdated language and many amendments often make it confusing and difficult to follow. Additionally, Melrose needs to update its ordinance to reflect changes in the state Zoning Act. The recodification will make the code easier to navigate and understand by reorganizing and restructuring the text. The focus of this recodification is structural, and it does not present any major policy changes. The zoning map, the allowed uses in existing districts, and dimensional regulations do not change under this ordinance.
City officials believe that the recodified zoning ordinance is a more user-friendly and streamlined document that will benefit homeowners, businessowners, developers, city staff, the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and all other users of the code.
Since April 2024, the consultants, city staff, and the zoning subcommittee have been working closely together to craft the current proposal. They sought input from city officials and stakeholders who are familiar with the code and are able to provide specific input. At its meeting on June 24, 2024, the Planning Board voted to submit the proposed amended Zoning Ordinance to the City Council, who must approve the revised ordinance for it to be officially adopted. The City Council and the Planning Board will hold a joint public hearing to discuss the proposal and hear from the public on August 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend and participate in this open meeting and hearing.
To review the proposed recodified zoning ordinance, visit www.cityofmelrose.org/zoning-code- 2024. Questions or comments can be submitted to the Office of Planning and Community Development at OPCD@cityofmelrose.org or (781) 979-4190.
About CommunityScale
CommunityScale is a pioneering urban planning and spatial data analysis company serving customers across the United States. They are committed to driving innovation in urban development and real estate by providing swift, accurate, and data-driven insights. Leveraging big data and state-of-the-art analytics, they help municipal and local governments, housing developers, and advocates understand and respond to complex housing needs more effectively and efficiently with a transparent and intuitive process.
About the Massachusetts Housing Choice Grant Program
The Massachusetts Housing Choice Grant Program rewards municipalities that have produced a significant number of housing units in the last five years and that have adopted or established Best Practices that encourage housing production. This competitive grant program awards funds based on the project’s nexus with housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and community development.
