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Favorable Recommendation On Multi-Family Moratorium
At the public hearing for the town warrant article held on March 27, 2023, Steve Stearns presented on the Temporary Building Moratorium on Multi-Family Dwelling Units (refer to presentation), which received a unanimous recommendation in favor by the Millbury Planning Board. Both residents and board members spoke in support of the warrant's value to the town of Millbury.
Implications Of Large-Scale Developments
Large-scale residential developments like the proposed Chapter 40B Local Initiative Program (LIP) Rice Pond Village project, the MBTA by-right 750-apartments inclusionary zoning in downtown Millbury, and other projects that will likely follow, can have a significant impact on schools, police, and fire resources and expenses in the surrounding areas.
Public Hearing To Be Held On Temporary Multifamily Moratorium
If you are not aware of what state officials are actively promoting statewide for communities and what developers have planned for nearby communities you might not realize that large-scale residential developments could happen near or in your neighborhood. Steven F. Venincasa and James Venincasa’s proposed Rice Pond Village project is just the first Chapter 40B proposal, and it’s likely that more will follow.
Diversifying The Tax Base
Several large-scale residential developments have been added in recent years in Millbury town, but there is a growing sentiment among its residents that the resulting tax base is unbalanced and unsustainable. This is because there has been minimal development of new commercial, industrial, and open space to offset the expenses of services and maintenance.
Chapter 40B Is Failing To Provide Affordable Housing
As a result, many developers have taken advantage of the law to build high-end luxury housing, rather than affordable housing. In some cases, developers have included a small percentage of affordable units in their projects but have priced them so high that they are not truly affordable to low-income residents. This has led to concerns that Chapter 40B is being used as a way to circumvent local zoning regulations and build high-end housing in areas where it would not otherwise be allowed.
Building Moratorium Public Hearing Scheduled
Multi-family residential projects do have a place in Millbury. However, these projects need to be sited on streets equipped to handle the additional traffic volume and equally important without exacerbating public safety. No one is opposed to sustainable growth, provided however, such development is safe, appropriate, responsible, and in full compliance with enacted Millbury Zoning Bylaws and other local and state regulations.