Subcommittee schedules Zoom meeting to consider changing CDD 3 to allow housing near train station; staff flags state TOD program

The subcommittee announced during its meeting that it will hold a Zoom meeting on the “20 third” to consider potential changes to “CDD 3” that could allow housing in areas where it is currently prohibited, and a staff member said the state Department of Transportation is developing a transit‑oriented development program that may free state‑owned land on High Street for affordable housing.

The move matters because the parcel on High Street, described by staff as state‑owned land currently used as parking for nearby condominiums, sits adjacent to the local train station and could reduce the land cost component of housing development if the state partners with a developer. A staff member said the state’s program is new and the DOT has directed staff to look at communities along the shoreline and railroad corridors for potential TOD opportunities.

At the meeting the chair announced the special Zoom meeting plan and said, “David will reach out to everybody.” The chair also said that if a quorum is present the session would be called a special meeting; if not, it would be called a subcommittee meeting. The chair said the upcoming meeting “will address potential changes to c d CDD 3 to see if it makes sense to try to encourage some housing where it is now prohibited.” Minutes from the current meeting were approved by unanimous consent.

In the staff report, a staff member described attending a state meeting hosted by a branch of the Department of Transportation that is assembling a program to encourage development on state‑owned land within TOD areas. The staff member said the state owns “some very narrow land around our train station” and pointed to a parcel on High Street that she had previously assumed was parking for existing condos but said is actually state land. She said that because the state would control the land cost, a developer could in theory deliver a greater share of affordable units—staff mentioned “more than 30%” as an example and said it “could possibly be a 100% affordable” project if the state provided the land.

The staff member characterized the DOT effort as new, noting a recent change in DOT leadership charged with the initiative and that the agency is surveying communities along the shoreline and railroad tracks for TOD potential. The subcommittee did not adopt any zoning changes at this meeting; the item was placed on the agenda for the upcoming subcommittee session.

The meeting ended without further action. The subcommittee chair confirmed adjournment by unanimous consent and the group will reconvene on the announced date to continue consideration of CDD 3 and any follow‑up on the state DOT program.