SAUGUS — With the final Special Town Meeting coming to a close Monday night, meeting members voted yes, by a vote of 35-2, to amend the Zoning Bylaws and add Article 23 – MBTA Communities Multi-family Overlay District (MCMOD) to comply with Massachusetts General Laws.
It was made clear multiple times during the meeting that the “yes” vote was made to protect the town from being sued if they did not comply.
Town Meeting member John O’Brien, who is also the chair of the Planning Board, spoke on the article as the Planning Board voted 4-0 to recommend the article to Town Meeting. He summarized the article and how Saugus has set up the zoning strategically.
“Under the law, the town is required to create zoning that allows for the right multi-family housing development. The state deadline for the compliance is July 14, 2025. If we fail to comply, the town would face serious risks,” O’Brien said.
These risks include the cost of litigation from the attorney general and the loss of funding.
O’Brien explained how the town has targeted certain areas that are already set up for multi-family use.
“The approach allows us to meet state requirements without opening up any new areas of the town to unwanted or inconsistent development. It also helps preserve our single-family neighborhood by focusing on new housing opportunities along the Route 1 corridor,” he said.
Town Manager Scott Crabtree also spoke on the article.
“In summary, this is obviously not a great situation for any city or town to be in,” he said.
Crabtree explained that there are other communities fighting MCMOD legally, but that courts are not ruling in their favor.
“The town’s goal with the zoning article is to get credit for housing that is already built, approved, or is in the development pipeline,” he said.
He reiterated O’Brien’s words on trying to meet state requirements without having to worry about unplanned, unexpected, or inappropriate new development.
After a brief discussion, the article passed.
