In December, Mayor Sisitsky submitted the downtown Central Business district to Massachusetts officials for consideration to satisfy the zoning law's requirements.
FRAMINGHAM - Framingham has been granted conditional compliance with the MBTA Communities Act by state officials.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) submitted a letter to Mayor Charlie Sisitsky on Wednesday, January 22, notifying him of their decision. State officials determined that the pre-existing Central Business district in downtown Framingham is enough to satisfy the state law, which dictates that cities and towns with MBTA service must offer at least one multi-family housing district by right within its zoning.
The MBTA Communities Act has been an ongoing topic of debate among local leaders and residents, as Framingham's compliance became unclear at the turn of the new year. In December, Sisitsky submitted a compliance request with the EOHLC; his case contested that the downtown Central Business district—an area that town meeting participants approved back in 2015—was enough to accomplish the requirements outlined in the legislation. A December 23, 2024 memo from Sisitsky to the City Council noted that while the mayor still believes new housing efforts should be spread out across Framingham, his decision to submit the Central Business district for consideration was made with taxpayers in mind.
"The City could not afford to forfeit state funding, or be subject to a potential lawsuit from the Attorney General’s office," Sisitsky wrote in a statement released by city officials Wednesday night following the EOHLC's conditional approval.
Municipalities out of compliance with the legislation could run the risk of the penalties that the mayor mentioned, though cities and towns are being given extra time to draft compliance plans in the wake of a decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on January 8 deeming the law constitutional.
Framingham's newfound compliance with the MBTA Communities Act comes with a few conditions from the state level. Local leaders must submit an Economic Feasibility Analysis within 180 days of the approval—July 21—while Massachusetts officials may establish a system to monitor the city's compliance going forward. Future permitting should also not lead to reduced multi-family unit capacity within the approved Central Business district, according to the EOHLC.
“I have received feedback from residents south of Route 9 expressing a desire for amendments to the Central Business District zoning law, which was approved by Town Meeting," Sisitsky continued in the statement released Wednesday.
"I will direct my administration to collaborate with the City Council and the Planning Board to make adjustments to the CB District, without affecting our compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.”
Sisitsky added that the City Council's planned meeting for February 4—which was slated to pick the MBTA Communities Act matter back up after it was tabled in December—may still be carried out.
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
This week on The Frame: Mayor Charlie Sisitsky unveils his $383.2 million proposal for the upcoming municipal budget as local leaders deliberate on financing the public school district’s operations, state officials provide an update on the General Chemical cleanup process, and coverage of I Believe Academy’s recent fundraiser and the Taste of MetroWest event.
The mayor unveiled the bottom line of his municipal budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year on Tuesday. That same night, the Framingham School Committee continued to discuss how they can bridge the gap between their budget pitch and Sisitsky’s.
Tens of thousands of runners, wheelchair riders, and hand cyclists finished the journey from Hopkinton to Boylston Street this week, while about a half million spectators lined the 26.2 mile-long course to cheer the participants on. Thousands of those attendees watched the action unfold here in Framingham.
