Weston Boards Propose Merriam Village 3A Overlay to Satisfy State Housing Law

WESTON — June 2, 2025 — Weston's Select Board and Planning Board jointly proposed overlaying MBTA 3A multifamily zoning onto Merriam Village, a 62-unit affordable senior housing complex on Merriam Street, with a target of counting up to 100 units toward the town's state-mandated requirement of 750 multifamily housing units. Select Board Chair Lisa Revers and Planning Board Chair Leslie Glenn told attendees Monday that the overlay would be "long-term zoning," not a construction authorization, and that the nonprofit running the property — Weston Community Housing Inc. — has no plans and no funding to expand. The town's previous compliance plan was rejected at the December 2024 town meeting, the Planning Board voted it down four to one, and a town lawsuit challenging 3A's unfunded-mandate status remains pending. Officials noted that a shift in federal funding has made the former Liberty Mutual campus — a prior plan anchor — more likely to be developed than expected, driving the search for lower-risk replacement parcels. A compliance plan is now targeted for the November 17 town meeting.