Millbury Town Meeting Adopts MBTA Communities Act Zoning: Article 29
On Monday, May 6, 2025, Millbury Town Meeting met the quorum of 100 voters—enough to proceed—and approved Article 29 to adopt the MBTA Communities Act zoning requirements. The modest turnout didn’t stop residents from taking a step toward compliance with the state’s housing law that permits 15 housing units per acre, reduced parking requirements, no minimum bedroom size, no maximum number of bedrooms per unit, and no occupancy limits.
Article 29: The Millbury Board of Selectmen's option includes an area along Route 146 southbound near the Sutton town line, plus six additional parcels—three on Westborough Road and three on Grafton Road (Route 122).
The areas proposed in both Article 28 (which failed) and Article 29 (which passed) were strategically chosen to minimize disruption to Millbury’s existing neighborhoods. The zoning focused on locations near major roads and with few nearby residences—specifically, Route 146 southbound near the Sutton town line, as well as parcels on Westborough Road (which is inaccessible from Millbury roads) and Grafton Road (Route 122). This approach aimed to meet the requirements of the MBTA Communities Act while preserving the town’s overall development character. The long-term impact of these decisions remains to be seen. One of the parcels in the far northeast corner of Millbury is part of the Pointe Rok condominiums and is highly unlikely to be developed, as it includes the entrance to the complex. The remaining five parcels along Westborough Road and Grafton Road are currently occupied by commercial or industrial businesses. While redevelopment is possible, it could be more expensive and complicated for potential developers. Additionally, the parcels along Route 146 lack access to municipal wastewater services, and the high cost of extending sewer infrastructure has been a major factor in why these highway-adjacent properties have remained mostly undeveloped to their full potential. Will these strategies ultimately benefit protecting Millbury? That remains to be seen.
Although all registered voters had the opportunity to participate, most chose not to attend, resulting in a decision made by a smaller group—fewer than those who participated in the November 9, 2024, special town meeting. That’s how the process works: the outcome is determined by those who show up.
In communities that have implemented zoning changes under the MBTA Communities Act, the impacts have varied but generally include a sharp increase in developer interest and a wave of proposals for large-scale housing projects. For example, in Arlington, rezoning near transit corridors led to multiple applications for multi-unit developments, raising concerns about infrastructure capacity and neighborhood character. In Newton, the adoption of MBTA-compliant zoning triggered strong reactions—both for and against—centered on traffic, school overcrowding, and the loss of open space. Woburn and Salem have experienced mounting pressure on public services as hundreds of new housing units were proposed in quick succession, often moving faster than local planning efforts could manage. A striking example is Lexington, which was required to zone just 50 acres but opted to designate 227 acres. Within months, developers submitted plans for 985 housing units. In response to the rapid pace and scale of proposed development, Lexington is now seeking to reduce its MBTA zoning area from 227 acres to 90. Collectively, these cases illustrate the challenge of balancing state housing mandates with the need to preserve community identity, manage growth, and ensure adequate infrastructure.
Whether Millbury will follow a similar path—or chart a different one—remains to be seen. People voted and now the outcome will play out in Millbury.
Zoning Overlay Districts
The adopted three Multi-Family Housing Overlay Districts include the following parcels of land.
| Property Address | Map Parcel ID | Acres | Sq Ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_18 | 12.1159 | 527,769.72 |
| 124 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_19 | 2.2642 | 98,628.36 |
| 134 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_20 | 1.1411 | 49,708.43 |
| 138 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_21 | 1.7721 | 77,192.91 |
| 140 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_21_A | 1.9211 | 83,684.54 |
| 128 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_57 | 22.3078 | 971,725.73 |
| 122 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_60 | 1.9701 | 85,817.15 |
| 120 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 71_68 | 1.3021 | 56,719.92 |
| 142 Worcester Providence Tkpe | 80_24 | 1.8060 | 78,667.57 |
| Creeper Hill Rd | 3_1 | 2.9592 | 128,904.40 |
| 130 Westborough St | 3_2 | 7.1423 | 311,120.04 |
| Westborough St | 3_4 | 1.9639 | 85,545.99 |
| 1535 Grafton Rd | 7_15 | 6.6867 | 291,272.27 |
| 1529 Grafton Rd | 7_16 | 0.2334 | 10,165.75 |
| 1537 Grafton Rd | 7_17 | 5.6824 | 247,524.06 |
The decision to approve the MBTA Communities Act virtually guarantees an increase in Chapter 40B developments. By mandating zoning changes that allow for greater housing density, the Act leads to an overall increase in housing units. However, under Chapter 40B, a community’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) is based on the percentage of affordable units relative to the total housing stock. So, as more market-rate units are built, the town's SHI percentage can actually decrease—unless affordable housing is added at a proportional or greater rate. This creates a situation where the town may appear to be making progress on housing, but actually falls further behind on meeting its affordability threshold, making it even more vulnerable to additional Chapter 40B projects.