By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Planning Board will be holding a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Zoning Bylaw that would allow the town to comply with the MBTA Communities law on Wednesday, Oct. 23, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Al Merritt Media and Cultural Center.
Former Gov. Charlie Baker signed an economic development bill into law in February 2021 that amended the Zoning Act by requiring MBTA Communities to have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multifamily housing is permitted as of right. While the town does not have an MBTA station, the law classifies Lynnfield as an “MBTA adjacent community” because the town borders municipalities with MBTA stations such as Lynn, Reading and Wakefield.
Lynnfield, which is currently classified as being in “interim compliance,” is facing a Dec. 31 deadline to adopt a multifamily zoning district in order to comply with the MBTA Communities law.
The MBTA Zoning Committee recently selected three overlay zoning subdistricts that will be brought to Fall Town Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Lynnfield Middle School auditorium. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities defines an overlay district as “a type of land use zoning district that lies on top of the existing zoning and potentially covers many underlying districts or portions thereof.”
Three of the proposed locations that would have overlay districts placed on them are MarketStreet Apartments, Michael’s Landing and Lynnfield Commons because those apartment complexes have already been built. There are 200 units at Lynnfield Commons, 180 units at MarketStreet Apartments and 68 units at Michael’s Landing. The MarketStreet Apartments component of the plan will only apply to the existing apartment complex and not the entire outdoor mall.
Additionally, four parcels located on the existing Herb Chambers Cadillac dealership property and one parcel on a Kelly Automotive dealership property on Route 1 North are included as part of the Lynnfield Commons overlay subdistrict.
According to the proposed Multifamily Overlay District amendment to the Zoning Bylaw, Subdistrict 1 would be MarketStreet Apartments, Subdistrict 2 is Michael’s Landing and Subdistrict 3 would be Lynnfield Commons and the five parcels located on the two different car dealerships’ properties.
The majority of the MBTA Zoning Committee has supported identifying locations that would comply with the law, but would ensure either no or very few multifamily units would be built. Under the proposed plan, the only parcels that could potentially be developed in the future are located at the two car dealerships.
“The most amount of units that could yield is 149,” said MBTA Zoning Committee/Planning Board Chair Page Wilkins during a recent Select Board meeting. “We think this is a really great way to minimize any possible impact to the town. This would be a very small amount left of 149 units that could possibly be built. Nothing has to be built. This is just a zoning amendment that has to be done.”
Wilkins also said that, “The chance that the very profitable and growing car dealerships would all flip tomorrow seems very unlikely.”
During the Planning Board’s public hearing on the MBTA Communities zoning change, residents will have the opportunity to weigh-in on the proposed Zoning Bylaw amendment.
If the Planning Board needs to continue the public hearing, the continued hearing will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The Select Board will also be discussing the proposed zoning amendment on Monday, Nov. 4.
