State Gives Westborough 25K For MBTA Communities Zoning Law Updates

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Westborough will get a little help from the state in implementing a new zoning requirement for communities near or with MBTA stations.

Westborough has received a nearly $25,000 grant from the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (previously called the Department of Housing and Community Development) to plan and execute local zoning changes under the new MBTA communities law.

The law requires towns like Westborough with transit stations — and communities that abut towns with station — to create new zoning districts that allow for denser housing. About 177 cities and towns across the region are considered MBTA communities because they either host or abut a transit stop.

The law does not require communities to actually build housing, only create zones for potential construction. The law is aimed at increasing the availability of housing statewide to relieve a larger housing shortage.

State Sen. Michael Moore, D-Worcester, said the grant will help Westborough pay to update its code, which can involve hiring consultants and training town staff.

“The MBTA Communities law is an incredible step forward toward alleviating Massachusetts’ acute housing crisis and producing multifamily housing in the places where people want to live. I am thrilled to hear that Massachusetts Housing Partnership is offering assistance to cities and towns while they update their sometimes decades-old zoning codes to allow for new transit-oriented development,” Moore said in a news release.

The new law has caused some controversy in towns that abut transit stations. Holden is being sued by the Worcester-based Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance over its resistance to complying with the law.