Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)

Citation: Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)
Jurisdiction: Arlington (municipal)
Source: Official source
Original Source: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57214/637641171662530000 ↗

Related Parts of This Source

Full Text

1,798 chars

Recent Proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendments
Town staff and the Housing Plan Implementation Committee (HPIC) have been active in pursuing
recommendations from its Housing Production Plan and the Master Plan (see Previous Plans on page 54),
including several amendments to the Zoning Bylaw. At the 2016 Annual Town Meeting, amendments to the Zoning
Bylaw that allow mixed-use development along commercial corridors by special permit passed with
overwhelming support, as did parking reductions in high-density residential and business districts.
However, subsequent efforts to advance HPP recommendations related to the Town’s Zoning Bylaw have faced
greater opposition at Town Meeting. A series of amendments in 2019 proposed more flexible dimensional
requirements for higher-density multifamily residential districts alongside an increased requirement for
affordability. The measures were ultimately withdrawn by the Arlington Redevelopment Board following
significant Town Meeting and resident pushback of the impact of proposals. The same year, a proposed
amendment to allow accessory dwelling units in the Town’s single-family districts was supported by a majority of
Town Meeting members but failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed for zoning changes. (Public
opposition to housing and zoning reform are discussed in detail in later sections.)
Assessment: Many of the zoning measures considered in the past five years—both those that passed and those
that did not—were intended to increase housing options and affordability in Town. Those that did not achieve
the support needed, particularly the 2019 amendments around dimensional requirements for multifamily housing,
were seen by some residents as incompatible with the built character they desired for Arlington. This perspective
and its