In the coming days, you may be asked to sign a petition asking that a referendum be held to repeal an October 21, 2024 Town Meeting vote to adopt the Neighborhood Housing Plan. This Plan is the more ambitious of two plans that would put the Town into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, requiring cities and towns with an MBTA transit stop to adopt zoning that allows multifamily housing by right, predominantly in areas near transit.
Green Needham, as well as well as other organizations and businesses, endorsed the Neighborhood Plan.
Green Needham strongly endorses the Neighborhood Housing Plan, which has been carefully crafted by the Town-appointed Housing Needham (HONE) advisory group, after receiving public input at many community meetings. It is important to remember that both plans allow, but do not mandate, development. A full build-out of the allowable units is very unlikely. Most of the affected parcels are currently being put to use, so the new housing that does get built will be done gradually over many years. Green Needham believes that the Neighborhood Plan, with its allowance of increased height and density, offers the incentives necessary to make development of much-needed new housing more financially feasible.
The below text is from a flyer that was put out by the Needham Housing Coalition. See also the Needham Observer article about the repeal effort.
Why We Don’t Need a Referendum
Don’t be confused by misinformation about Needham’s new thoughtful housing plan! It is good for Needham. Town Meeting voted for a sensible and moderate housing plan to address our decades-long housing shortage.
It is important to be aware that the cost of a referendum is significant and would divert staff, committees, and volunteers from other important matters.
If a referendum passes:
- We are left with no plan to address well-researched housing needs.
- Needham will be out of compliance with the MBTA Communities Law.
- We are concerned that noncompliance would jeopardize state and discretionary federal funds such as millions of dollars for Needham Housing Authority projects, and TIP and other state funds for infrastructure that are in the pipeline.
- Congressman Jake Auchincloss has stated that communities in his district that don’t comply with the MBTA Communities Act will not be eligible for community project funding through his office.
The adopted plan:
- resulted from extensive resident and expert input
- addresses the needs of seniors who are over-housed, young families who need starter homes, our workforce, folks who need accessible housing, and others
- shows a net positive fiscal impact
- has School Committee assurance that student increases can be absorbed safely
- has impact data showing our infrastructure will be adequate
- explains how site plan review allows town and resident inputs to get future development right
- is supported by the town’s Mobility Planning and Coordination Committee
We trust our elected officials, Needham organizations and businesses who endorsed the Neighborhood Housing Plan:
- Representative Denise Garlick, Senator Becca Rausch
- Needham LWV, Green Needham, Charles River Chamber, our hospitals and many more.
- Over three dozen local businesses from Abbott’s Ice Cream to Volantes Farms
See more at NeedhamHousingCoalition.org
