FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — Milton voters rejected a state mandated housing plan on Tuesday night, putting the town at odds with state law. The decision could have future impacts on local communities in Bristol County.
The MBTA Communities Act is a new law that requires communities with public transportation access to have at least one zoning district that allows multi-family housing.
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The zoning district must be half a mile from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station, if applicable, and be family friendly too.
In Milton, a town with MBTA access, a new zoning law was passed in December allowing the construction of multi-family housing in the town.
Opponents of the change forced a referendum and reverted the zoning to the town’s previous model after Wednesday night’s vote. Now, a special permit is required to build anything other than a single-family home in Milton.
In a statement to WFXT in Boston, Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus reacted to the vote saying in part, “the Healey-Driscoll administration is deeply disappointed that Milton’s zoning plan was rejected.”