The MBTA Zoning Committee has narrowed down its recommendation to comply with the MBTA zoning law.
Planning Board Chair Page Wilkins, who serves as the MBTA Zoning Committee chair, presented the committee’s recommendation to zone and comply with the MBTA zoning law at the Select Board meeting on Monday.
Under this law, Lynnfield is required to zone at least 40 acres of multi-family housing at a density of 15 units per acre, which would yield 607 units, Wilkins said. She said the committee learned the town can take advantage of pre-existing multi-family units by changing the zoning around them.
The committee recommends amending the zoning in three separate parcels, each around areas already with multi-family homes, she said.
After using those pre-existing multi-family homes toward the final number of 607, the town will only need to zone for 149 units. The zoning amendment will only allow for a maximum of 149 units to be built on only one of the three parcels. The third parcel overlays the land of the car dealership on Route 1.
“Just for everybody’s clarity, this all would have to sell, and someone would have to come in, and you would still have another say in the design aspect of it,” Select Board member Alexis Leahy said. “This is just the zoning change.”
“We think this is a really great way to minimize any possible impact to the town,” Wilkins said. “Nothing has to be built. This is just a zoning amendment that has to be done.”
The MBTA Zoning Committee will be presenting the formal language of the zoning at the Select Board meeting Oct. 7.
