Mayor: Framingham has filed for MBTA Communities compliance; council and public press for impact analysis

The mayor told the council the city submitted an application asserting that existing downtown zoning meets the MBTA Communities Act requirements and that state regulators have indicated they expect to issue a decision before the council's February meeting. Councilors and a public speaker urged better local analysis of how the MBTA rule changes could affect housing affordability, schools, traffic and municipal services.

Public commenter Jerry Bloomfield told the council that a recent Supreme Judicial Court decision rendered statewide guidance "non binding" and urged the council to ask the city solicitor for a legal analysis of what changes the city can lawfully make to zoning. Bloomfield warned that entry-level rents could rise—he said, "The entry level of apartment unit is $2,200 per month"—and urged the council to conduct an impact assessment covering schools, transit, utilities and public safety.

The mayor said the state's new regulations arrived the same day and that city staff have been in contact with the state housing office and the lieutenant governor's office. He said the city filed documentation claiming the existing downtown zoning satisfies MBTA Communities requirements and that, of several communities that applied, four have already been approved and two (including Framingham and Haverhill) are awaiting decisions. He warned that failure to achieve compliance could subject municipalities to enforcement actions from the attorney general and could affect eligibility for certain state grants.

The council has tabled action on related zoning changes until a February meeting; the mayor said the city expects an answer from the state well before then and that staff would provide guidance if changes are required to reach compliance.