At the upcoming Annual Town Meeting on May 2, 2023, registered voters in Millbury will need to make a collective decision regarding the town’s growth of multi-family dwelling units (i.e., three or more units). A group of concerned residents has submitted a citizens’ petition to enact a temporary building moratorium on multi-family dwelling units for approximately 18 months. This will provide time to review and amend certain zoning bylaws related to multi-family dwelling units throughout Millbury.

There have been many discussions about large-scale residential development in the town, with varying opinions on their value and impact. Notable developments include Strafford Village, Clearview Homes, Cobblestone Village Apartments, Canal Street Apartments (currently under construction), Singletary Arms (currently under DEP review), the proposed 192-apartment Chapter 40B Local Initiative Program (LIP) Rice Pond Village project, and state dictated MBTA by-right inclusionary zoning to permit 750 apartments in the downtown area. Concerns have been raised regarding their fit with the surrounding neighborhoods, increases in traffic volume, road capacity, and most importantly public safety.

If you are not aware of what state officials are actively promoting statewide for communities and what developers have planned for nearby communities like Auburn, Grafton, Shrewsbury, Sutton and others, 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.

At a Millbury Planning Board meeting, town counsel said, “Each time I go through the Millbury Zoning Bylaws in detail, I find it lacking in clarity. In particular, it would be good for the Bylaws to have more detailed special permit and site plan criteria and required findings. That would make an exercise such as this much easier.” The proponents of this town warrant article were listening and agree with his professional assessment, and you should too.

We are not against development per se. We support safe, appropriate, and responsible development that doesn’t compromise public safety, complies with local regulations, and contributes to a sustainable tax base. Unfortunately, the proposal currently under consideration by the town and state doesn’t meet those criteria.

Current local regulations require developments to be “in harmony” with the area, which many feel is not being upheld. The root cause of this problem is the town’s zoning bylaws, which the Millbury Planning Board is mandated by law to adhere to. Another issue is the number of waivers and variances granted with no legitimate justification of public benefit, which goes against the town’s enactment of the zoning bylaws and state law. It’s time for residents and town officials to push back and determine the town’s collective future. After all, it is our town, and we are the town.

The proposed town warrant article is meant to temporarily pause multi-family dwelling unit development while town officials and residents collaboratively and transparently review the zoning bylaws related to these types of developments. The aim is to amend or add local regulations as necessary to align with the town’s approved official master plan, to maintain the town’s character and charm, and to create a sustainable tax base that balances open space, commercial, industrial, and residential taxes. It’s been observed that in recent years, most of the development has been large-scale residential projects, which can be a burden on municipal services. Residential taxpayers cannot be the predominant source of taxes for increasing expenses.

Proponents of this town warrant article encourage individuals to attend the Millbury Planning Board’s public hearing for the “Temporary Building Moratorium on Multi-Family Dwelling Units” on March 27, 2023, at 7:15 p.m. at the Millbury Town Hall, located at 127 Elm St. in Millbury. The goal is to make a positive difference for our town, and you can learn more at https://ricepondvillage.com, a neighborhood effort to educate and inform.

Your vote matters on May 2, 2023, at Millbury’s Annual Town Meeting, as we set a path forward for our town’s future.

Article appeared in the Millbury Sutton Chronicle on March 16, 2023.