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Acton boards back tiered inclusionary zoning approach after MAPC feasibility review
Summary
MAPC presented analyses showing deeper affordability is feasible mainly for larger MBTA-district projects; Select Board members signaled majority support for a tiered policy that keeps a 10% at 80% AMI baseline for small projects while pursuing deeper affordability for larger developments, and asked planning staff to return with a refined proposal for hearings and Town Meeting.
Emma Udelovich, a regional housing and land use planner at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, told a joint session of the Town of Acton Select Board, Planning Board and Acton Community Housing Corporation on Dec. 1 that inclusionary zoning can deliver affordable units but that the depth of affordability and the size of a project determine financial feasibility. "Inclusionary zoning is a policy tool that requires affordable units to be included in market rate developments," Udelovich said, noting municipalities commonly set a baseline but may need offsets such as density or height bonuses to make deeper requirements viable.
The MAPC economic feasibility analysis (EFA) presented a range of options. The baseline (Option A) is the existing MBTA-overlay requirement: 10% of units at 80% of area median income (AMI). Other options considered higher set-asides and lower AMI targets (for example, 10% at 60%…
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