Braintree Planning Board recommends new zoning for multifamily housing, with changes
BRAINTREE − The planning board is recommending to the town council a package of zoning changes that would ease the construction of multifamily housing in four areas of town.
Developed by the town's planning staff, the plan's purpose is to comply with the MBTA Communities Act, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2021. The law seeks to ease the state's housing crunch by requiring suburbs to open more land to potential multifamily development, most within half a mile of an MBTA station.
Braintree's Weymouth Landing district would include most of the commercial space along Commercial Street and Quincy Avenue, the Landing 53 and Windjammer Cove apartments, the Royal Nursing Home and the former Braintree Electric Light Department property, where a development of 56 apartments has already been approved.
One of two South Braintree districts would consist of the Marketplace at Braintree shopping center, an adjacent car dealership, as well as the former Motel 6 property, where a proposed redevelopment now before the planning board would include a Chick-fil-A restaurant and a bank.
The other South Braintree district would include the former Armstrong Cork property.
The final district would be the triangular area of 9.5 acres between the commuter rail tracks and Hancock and Pearl streets, with the exception of the Walgreens store.
State deadline is looming for multifamily district plan
After the proposal went to the town council's ordinance and rules committee Monday, the full council has it on the agenda for its Dec. 19 meeting.
The town is considered a rapid transit community under the law because of its stop on the Red Line and must meet a Dec. 31 state deadline for submission of the plan.
Communities that do not submit plans would not be eligible for some state grant programs, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell has ruled that communities can't avoid the requirement by forgoing the grants and would be subject to civil enforcement action.
Planning and Community Development Director Melissa SantucciRozzi said communities must approve zoning that will allow developers to build the housing under the law, but it does not require that it be built.
"There is no mandate to produce a single unit," she said.
Braintree's zoning must allow for at least 3,769 apartments or condominiums, or 25% of its current housing units, with a minimum density of 15 units an acre.
Changes would loosen limits on height, units
A change adopted by the planning board Nov. 28 would allow the planning board to grant a special permit to exceed height restrictions and limits on the total number of units in an individual development through the special permit process.
A lawyer representing F.X. Messina Enterprises, the largest landowner in the 200 acres that could be covered by the new zoning, said the four-story restriction on building height and the limits of the number of units in a single complex would discourage development of the Armstrong Cork property, which has 25 acres of mostly vacant, developable land.
The property would be in the Red Line South district, where up to 30 units an acre could be built, but the overall development could not be more than 325 units.
"That's not a tenable way to produce housing," said Wayne Dennison, the attorney for Messina.
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He suggested a five-story height limit over one level of parking under the building.
The district also would include two shopping centers owned by Messina, Ivory Plaza and Pearl Plaza. Dennison said those properties involve 30-year leases and won't be developed.
At the planning board meeting, North Braintree Civic Association President Kelly Moore, who led the fight this year against a proposed apartment development at South Shore Plaza, criticized the proposal.
"I feel we are talking about a tidal wave that is about to hit," Moore said.
Richard Wentzel, of Spring Street, wondered what impact the developments would have on the town's traffic, water and sewer systems and the need for more police officers and firefighters.
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With more multifamily buildings, "we'll look like Boston," he said.
Mike Lang, of Cotton Avenue, wondered why the plan didn't encourage the development of senior housing to cut down on traffic.
SantucciRozzi said age-restricted units are not permitted by the law.
Carl Johnson, a local lawyer, said the plan should encourage mixed-use development.
The proposal was not without supporters.
James Miller, of French Avenue, said he "supports these smart zoning amendments."
Braintree board votes for proposed changes
The planning board vote to endorse the changes was 4-1, with member William Grove in opposition.
Grove said he has a problem with going along with regulations set by state housing officials, a non-legislative body.
"Guidelines aren't enforceable law," he said.
Town Solicitor Crystal Huff said they are.
About 100 people attended the special planning board meeting.
Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Braintree Planning Board recommends new multifamily zoning districts
