Weston Planning Board opens public process on MBTA Communities zoning

WESTON — April 29, 2024 — Weston opens public workshops on state-mandated multifamily zoning. The Planning Board's first Chapter 3A workshop drew a packed room and roughly 85 Zoom participants as consultants from the Dream Collaborative laid out the town's requirement to zone 50 acres for 750 units of multifamily housing at 15 units per acre by Dec. 31. Director of Urban Design and Planning Diana Marsh Engreen said the share required within a half-mile of a transit station fell from 75 percent to roughly 40 percent — about 20 acres and 300 units — after the firm convinced state officials that only Kendall Green, not Silver Hill or Hastings, remains an active station. Planning Board Chair Leslie Glynn said residents will ultimately decide compliance at a Special Town Meeting on Dec. 3, while Town Planner Imai Aiu told the audience that "no is still on the table" but the warrant must include a compliant option. Resident John Barley of 56 Weston Road said he was "disappointed that all of this is about how to comply as opposed to how we might push back."