Town of Newbury Meets State Compliance of Section 3A Zoning Act

Town of Newbury Meets State Compliance of Section 3A Zoning Act

The Town of Newbury is pleased to share that the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) has determined that the Town of Newbury is compliant with the Section 3A State Zoning Act. 

The EOHLC had previously reviewed the district compliance application for the Town’s MBTA Communities Multi-Family Overlay District’s two subdistricts. Based on the EOHLC’s review, the Town was required to zone for a minimum of 154 multi-family dwelling units. 

During the thorough review of the application, the EOHLC made the following determinations: 

• The District is comprised of 35.2 acres of land.
• Multi-family unit capacity for the District is estimated at 433 units.
• The gross density of the district was estimated at 15 dwelling units per acre.
• At least 50 percent of the district is one contiguous land area. 
• Multifamily housing is allowed and suitable for families with children based on Section 3A and Section 72.07 of the regulations.
• There are no dimensional zoning requirements that were not captured by the compliance review that would substantially affect the district's estimated multi-family unit capacity.
• As a whole, the district meets all the necessary requirements of Section 3A  and the regulations. 

This determination of compliance qualifies Newbury for the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund, which was announced by Governor Healy in June 2024. 

“We would like to thank the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for their thorough consideration of our application and ultimately granting us compliance with the new zoning act,” said Town Administrator Tracy Blais. 

For more information about Section 3A, click here; to learn more about Newbury’s compliance, visit the Zoning Board of Appeals or Planning Board pages on the website.