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Town Meeting reauthorizes home-rule 'search charge' on certain residential redevelopment
Summary
Article 25 passed, authorizing the Select Board to pursue a home-rule petition permitting a locally set per-square-foot charge on certain single- and two-family replacements; proponents said revenue could add millions to the Affordable Housing Trust; opponents warned it may not deter tear-downs or could be borne by sellers.
Town Meeting approved Article 25 to reauthorize a residential "search charge" home-rule petition that — if enacted by the Legislature and implemented locally — would permit the Select Board to levy a per-square-foot charge on new single- and two-family construction that replaces demolished single- or two-family buildings.
Mr. Daget, the proponent presenting the video, said the charge would be applied on a dollars-per-square-foot basis to gross floor area for qualifying post-demolition building permits; the select board would commission a study to set appropriate rate ranges, set the initial rate, and be authorized to adopt exemptions and rules. Collected revenues would be deposited into the town’s Affordable Housing Trust.
Town staff and the presentation quantified past redevelopment trends and potential revenue: analyses from 2007–2024 show redevelopment replacing smaller houses with larger ones; hypothetical rates of $2.50, $5.00, and $7.50 per square foot could have yielded roughly $6.8M, $13.6M, and $20.4M respectively over a recent five-year period, depending on thresholds used.
Supporters, including the Affordable Housing Trust and the Appropriation Committee, said the charge would create a new funding source for community housing and preserve housing diversity. Opponents or those taking no position, including the Housing Partnership, warned the charge may simply be absorbed into purchase prices (burden on sellers or buyers), could fail to discourage teardowns, and would be a one-time revenue source rather than ongoing funding.
The Select Board reported internal division (two members in favor, three opposed). Town Meeting voted: 94 in favor, 66 opposed; motion carried.
What’s next: Passage authorizes the Select Board to file a home-rule petition with the General Court. If the Legislature approves, local implementation could take two to four years, with an additional implementation period before funds begin to flow to the Affordable Housing Trust.
