MBTA Communities Act Public Hearings — April 14, 2025

Mark your calendar for Monday, April 14, 2025, at 7:00 PM! The Millbury Planning Board will be holding two public hearings on proposed MBTA Communities Act zoning amendments at Millbury Town Hall, 127 Elm Street in Millbury, Massachusetts.

Your participation matters—especially if you live in or near the affected parcels. The Planning Board’s role is to make a positive or negative recommendation—they don’t decide whether the amendments appear on the Town Meeting warrant or if voters will have the chance to weigh in. That’s up to us.

Be there in person for maximum impact—or watch live on Verizon FIOS channel 26, Charter Spectrum channel 191, or catch the replay on Millbury Video-On-Demand.

This is your town. Your voice. Show up. Speak out.

Article 28

The Millbury Planning Board put forth the first town warrant article (Article 28).

The Millbury Planning Board’s proposal includes two areas: one along Route 146 southbound near the Sutton town line, and another at 50 Howe Avenue, directly across from the Cobblestone Village Apartments.

Article 29

The Millbury Board of Selectmen put forth a second town warrant article (Article 29).

The Millbury Board of Selectmen's option includes the same area along Route 146 southbound near the Sutton town line, plus six additional parcels—three on Westborough Road and three on Grafton Road (Route 122).

At the Special Town Meeting on Saturday, November 9, 2024, the overwhelming majority of registered voters who attended and cast their votes chose to reject the MBTA Communities Act zoning amendments—and for good reason. Since then, nothing about the proposal’s narrative has significantly changed, and it should be rejected just as decisively once again. The only significant difference between the options is the area each one covers. This isn’t an either-or decision — we’re not required to adopt Article 28 or Article 29. We have the option to reject both, just as we’ve done in the past.

Make your voice count once more at the upcoming Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM, held at the Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School, 12 Martin Street, in Millbury, Massachusetts.

Let’s stand together and send a clear message—again.

The MBTA Communities Act is the wrong approach for Millbury and the 176 other affected communities. It fails to provide truly affordable housing for the people who already live in Millbury and the surrounding area. Instead, it serves as a scheme for developers to seize land and profits, dominate the rental market, and trap residents in long-term corporate rentals. The real goal is to erode the American Dream of single-family homeownership.

This mandate is also out of step with Millbury’s Master Plan (2019) and Housing Production Plan (2025), both of which clearly show that residents prefer modest homes on smaller lots—not large apartment complexes.

We should shape Millbury’s future based on our own needs—not through a one-size-fits-all policy imposed by Beacon Hill legislators who don’t understand the unique character of each community affected by this law. Other towns are already rejecting the MBTA Communities Act, and we should do the same—again.

Some communities are even taking legal action, challenging the MBTA Communities Act as an unfunded mandate. If these zoning amendments are approved, Millbury taxpayers will bear the cost of supporting a significant influx of new residents—covering increased expenses for education, public safety, infrastructure, and other essential services. As many have pointed out, it takes the taxes from multiple households to cover the cost of educating just one student in our school system—and the same holds true for other services that taxpayers are responsible for funding.

People are leaving Massachusetts because they can no longer afford to live in a state and community that was once affordable and felt like home. This trend, known as outmigration, isn't just about the wealthiest residents—it’s our neighbors and friends who are being priced out.

It’s time for Millbury to have its own modern-day Tea Party—not against England, but against the misguided politicians on Beacon Hill who are not planners and made this decision in the late-night, early-morning hours when there was no public scrutiny. Our State Representative, Paul Frost, has introduced a bill to repeal the MBTA Communities Act. Other State Representatives and Senators have taken similar actions, including, but not limited to 23+ bills submitted to amend or abolish the MBTA Communities Act mandate. We should not vote away our Home Rule rights to zone our communities in the way we know is necessary to serve both current and future residents.

You’re likely to hear the same worn-out arguments for why we should simply accept this state mandate — that we might be sued by the state, that it’s the law, or that it’s just zoning and doesn’t actually require construction. But resistance is not futile. We’ve already proven that by rejecting the MBTA Communities Act the first time. One town was sued and settled without creating a new zoning district. Other communities are still challenging the mandate in court, arguing it’s an unfunded mandate — a position the State Auditor has supported. Those raising concerns about the risk of being sued by the state often overlook the fact that residents also have the right to take legal action. Their focus seems more on appeasing the government than on representing the people they were elected to serve. Many of our elected officials have publicly opposed the MBTA Communities Act. On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, we’ll see whether their actions match their words. If not, it may be time for us to pursue change—through the ballot box or other lawful means, just as other communities have. As a community, we can’t let the MBTA Communities Act become the next regret—like The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, Clearview, Singletary Arms, Cobblestone Village Apartments, the so-called downtown beautification projects, 19 Canal Street Apartments, Rice Pond Village, and other developments that many came to question only after seeing the consequences. We need to act before it’s too late.

Rejecting the MBTA Communities Act isn’t anti-development or anti-progress. It simply reflects a desire to pursue a different path—one that addresses our real housing needs with truly affordable options, not oversized corporate apartment complexes that lack character and community. Most residents aren’t opposed to housing solutions, but many are rightfully concerned about massive developments that prioritize profit over people.