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‘We need housing’: Healey tells Milton to approve multifamily zoning
The state has made it clear that Milton will face consequences if residents choose not to approve the zoning change to comply with the MBTA Communities Act.
Gov. Maura Healey is urging voters in Milton to vote yes during a special town election, which was rescheduled from Tuesday to Wednesday due to the letdown snowstorm.
The town-wide vote will determine if Milton’s zoning bylaws will change to be compliant with the state’s MBTA Communities Act, a 2021 law that requires communities near transit lines to change zoning to allow for more multifamily units.
In December, Milton approved the zoning bylaws change during a Special Town Meeting, but a petition with about 3,000 signatures gives voters another chance to make their voices heard on the changes.
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The state has made it clear that Milton — which is the only town with a rapid transit community designation not in compliance with the law — will face consequences if residents choose not to approve the zoning change.
“My message to voters is that if you want your kids to be able to afford to live here in Massachusetts, if you want to be able to continue to live in Massachusetts as you get older, if you want our companies and our businesses growing and expanding, we need housing across the state, and we need communities like Milton and communities across the state to do what needs doing in terms of creating more housing opportunities,” Healey told reporters Monday.
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Attorney General Andrea Campbell put the town on notice last month after Milton missed the end-of-year compliance deadline, saying the state would take legal action to enforce the MBTA Communities Act.
Some consequences of noncompliance include the inability to receive MassWorks, HousingWorks, and Housing Choice grants, which Campbell’s letter to Milton referenced. According to a letter sent from Milton’s town administrator to their select board, Milton could lose $1.7 million in state funding if not in compliance with the law.
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