By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — The MBTA Zoning Committee unanimously voted to reduce the number of potential overlay districts to comply with the state-mandated multifamily zoning requirements law during an Aug. 5 meeting.

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. The town is currently classified as being in “interim compliance.”

The MBTA Zoning Committee originally identified five areas of South Lynnfield to be considered for an MBTA Communities overlay zoning district: MarketStreet Lynnfield; the Crystal Motor Express and UPS distribution centers at Kimball Lane; the Michael’s Landing apartment complex, the old Christmas Tree Shops building and adjacent strip mall, gas station and storage facility on Route 1 South; the Kelly Automotive and Herb Chambers dealerships and the Lynnfield Commons apartment complex on Route 1 North; and a separate Route 1 North parcel by the Holiday Inn.

Planning and Conservation Director Emilie Cademartori recalled that the selected MBTA Communities zoning district must be 40 acres in size and able to accommodate 607 units. The town is facing a Dec. 31 deadline to adopt a multifamily zoning district in order to comply with the MBTA Communities law.

MBTA Zoning Committee member Anthony Moccia proposed that the Route 1 North parcel by the Holiday Inn be eliminated as a potential location.

“I think it will have a greater impact on residential districts than the other four,” said Moccia, who is also chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

MBTA Zoning Committee member Richard O’Neil, who also serves on the Board of Assessors, concurred with Moccia’s viewpoint that the Route 1 North parcel should be eliminated. He also proposed eliminating the Kimball Lane parcel.

“I believe that parcel will be developed,” said O’Neil about Kimball Lane.

Moccia agreed.

“I think Kimball Lane would be a viable candidate to be redeveloped,” said Moccia.

After the discussion, the MBTA Zoning Committee unanimously voted to eliminate the two locations.

While MBTA Zoning Committee member/Select Board Chair Dick Dalton said he supports eliminating MarketStreet from the potential sites due to longtime concerns expressed by abutters, the committee decided to continue evaluating the location for the time being.

“I don’t see MarketStreet getting past the Select Board quite frankly,” said Dalton.

Town Administrator Rob Dolan reiterated that, “Nothing in this law says apartments need to be built.”

“As I sit at the breakfast table with other town administrators across the North Shore, nobody is happy about this law,” said Dolan. “It’s really hard because the state did it without local input, and every city and town is so different in a million ways. What problem is it solving? There is a housing problem for people who want to downsize. If you have a young person who just graduated from college or if you are a single person trying to rent in this area, a one-bedroom apartment at a good deal is $2,000-a-month. A two-bedroom apartment is between $2,400- and $2,600-a-month. There is a housing problem, but this law doesn’t solve it. The last thing we need is more $3,000-a-month apartments, and that is ultimately what would be built.”

Dolan said he doesn’t believe the Kelly Automotive and Herb Chambers dealerships will be closed so that those properties could be redeveloped into a multifamily housing complex if the committee selects that option. He said Herb Chambers is looking to open a Porsche dealership on Route 1 North.

“As we are sitting around the breakfast table, we are trying to think of ways to get around the law but still comply,” said Dolan. “That is one of the choices in which we can go around the law, but still comply. That is a path to do it.”

MBTA Zoning Committee Chair Page Wilkins said Dolan’s suggestion “makes a lot of sense.”

“It behooves us to pick the best option for Lynnfield,” said Wilkins, who also chairs the Planning Board.

Cademartori said the School Department provided the MBTA Zoning Committee with enrollment data for the town’s 491 multifamily units.

“There were only 87 students last year and there will be 96 students this year,” said Cademartori. “It represents less than 4 percent of the total enrollment in Lynnfield. It is very apparent that single-family residential homes produce far more students than multifamily units. I know that the 607 units sounds scary, but the current 491 units is not tipping the scales today. These are real numbers provided by the School Department.”

Residents’ weigh in

Broadway resident Mike Gannon said he opposes the MBTA Communities law.

“Don’t be fooled when they say we are just going to do some zoning,” said Gannon. “Once it is approved, they will put whatever they want up. You know what the problem on Route 1 is? It’s the Holiday Inn and the migrants who live there now. They talk about the housing crisis in Massachusetts. Who do you think caused it?”

Gannon said the town should wait until the Supreme Judicial Court decides the outcome of the Milton case before moving forward with complying with the MBTA Communities law. Attorney General Andrea Campbell is suing Milton for not complying with the law, and the case will be going before the Supreme Judicial Court in October. He said the town should follow in Milton and Holden’s footsteps by not complying with the law.

“A lot of towns are not going for it and want to fight it,” said Gannon. “Good for them. I hope Lynnfield goes the Milton and Holden route, and we don’t rush this through. We should wait until we see what the Supreme Judicial Court says.”

Summer Street resident Jeff DiTullio said he was concerned about the impact a multifamily zoning district would have on the school system, public safety and utilities.

“This would increase the population of the town by about 15 percent,” said DiTullio. “I am concerned about the impact on the schools, fire, police, water and other services. Although the state has threatened to pull any assistance with public projects they would normally help us with, I think the cost increase for services, employees and other things are a lot to consider. I think our first responsibility is to the town and the people of the town. Although we should consider compliance with all state laws, our first responsibility is to the people of Lynnfield. I think we should consider dragging our feet or non-compliance right off the bat because I think this is going to be a long-term drain on the town.”

Dalton said Fall Town Meeting is going to be delayed from October to November in order to give the MBTA Zoning Committee and residents “time to digest what is going on.”

“Nobody is rushing into this,” said Dalton. “We are having the latest Fall Town Meeting in recent history. There are no guarantees in life, but I would like to see this committee put something before the Select Board that has minimal impact on the town if any. We see that happening in other towns. Towns are selecting areas that they feel will never be developed in the coming decades because of what is there now. In my sole opinion, I think that is a strategy that makes some sense.”

Dalton recalled that the town has received $3.2 million in state grants for town projects that Lynnfield will no longer be eligible for if Fall Town Meeting rejects complying with the MBTA Communities law.

“These are projects we would not have otherwise done such as traffic improvements, street improvements, the rail trail and the list goes on,” said Dalton. “Those would definitely be at-risk and we would not be eligible for those funds. That is not something to be dismissed. You certainly have to consider it and weigh it.”

Locksley Road resident Mary Lu Medonca said the town should comply with the MBTA Communities law.

“I work at a nonprofit legal services agency helping tenants whose developments are being redeveloped,” said Medonca. “Before that, I worked for a low and moderate income-housing program for over a decade. I am very familiar with housing in the Greater Boston area. I would urge people to think about not just what you see as the likely outcome of greater class sizes and affects on public works without considering that non-compliance will really affect the amount of funding that Lynnfield gets to do many of the projects that affect the people of Lynnfield.”

The MBTA Zoning Committee’s next meeting will take place on Monday, Aug. 19, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Al Merritt Media and Cultural Center.