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Medford planners outline options for Tufts institutional zone; council seeks extended outreach and funding
Summary
City consultants briefed the Planning & Permitting Committee on options for a Tufts institutional zoning district, reviewed Dover Amendment limits and examples from other Massachusetts cities, heard abutter concerns about height, parking and ownership, and the committee voted to keep the proposal in committee for further work.
Medford planning consultants presented a framework for a proposed Tufts institutional zoning district and urged careful tailoring to state case law while the City Council signaled it wants more community outreach and resources before any final vote.
Consultant Emily Innes of Innes Associates told the Planning & Permitting Committee that the Dover Amendment (Chapter 40A, §3 of the Massachusetts General Laws) makes educational uses an "as of right" use but allows municipalities to impose "reasonable" conditions such as setbacks, dimensional limits and parking rules so long as those conditions do not nullify the educational use. "The use itself is an as of right use, but the city is allowed to place conditions on those uses," Innes said.
Council President Behrs opened the meeting by calling for an extended, more robust public engagement process around the rezoning effort and asked the mayor to propose a funding paper that would provide at least $150,000 to extend…
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