The MBTA Communities Law requires that our town designate a zoning area that allows for zoning for 750 multi-family housing units. It is important to understand that the MBTA Communities Law does not stipulate the actual building of housing, but just allows the possibility of multi-family housing through the zoning ordinance.

Holden is the only town out of 177 Massachusetts communities that has failed to submit the one-page MBTA Communities Law action plan that was due in 2023. As Holden residents, we are facing and will continue to face significant financial and legal penalties for the town’s non-compliance! Due to Holden’s non-compliant status, we are currently no longer eligible for state funding through the Local Capital Projects Fund, Housing Choice Initiative grants, Housing Works infrastructure grants, and 13 other state grant funds tied to compliance status. Legal defense for non-compliance will continue to place unnecessary financial burdens on our town’s taxpayers.

It’s not too late! Holden’s deadline to submit a zoning ordinance in compliance with the law is December 31, 2024. In September 2023, Holden was awarded a $60,100 state grant to work on the zoning changes outlined in our town’s Master Plan. These zoning changes would also include a compliance plan for the MBTA Communities Law. Despite receiving this funding, Holden’s town manager and Selectboard have failed to move forward to design zoning options that would comply with the MBTA Communities Law.

Join us in insisting that our town leaders take immediate steps to use state funds awarded in September 2023 to designate a zoning district in compliance with the MBTA Communities Law.

Use this link to email town manager Peter Lukes and the Selectboard members to share your opinion that Holden should use the awarded state grant to move forward with designating a zoning district in compliance with the MBTA Communities Law.