Marblehead will stage a special Town Meeting in November to reconsider the MBTA Communities Act zoning proposal that narrowly failed at the annual Town Meeting in May.
Select Board member Dan Fox revealed the news during a joint public meeting of the Fair Housing Committee and the Housing Production Plan Implementation Committee.
“We are planning to go in November for a special town meeting,” Fox said. “We are trying to figure out an exact time … whether that’s Monday, Thursday or Saturday.”
Marblehead has not convened a special Town Meeting in some time. While Fox highlighted the 3A issue, he indicated that additional articles could potentially be included on the warrant as well.
Once the Select Board officially opens the warrant, residents will also have the opportunity to submit citizen petitions for consideration.
The MBTA Communities Act zoning proposal, which would create three multi-family housing districts in town, failed by just 33 votes at the May Town Meeting. The defeat put Marblehead at risk of losing state funding for various programs if it does not comply with the Act’s requirements by Dec. 31.
Fox emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue before the end of the year, citing potential impacts on crucial infrastructure projects.
“If we don’t pass the zoning in order to be compliant with the state, we start losing funding for a number of programs,” Fox said. He specifically mentioned an $11 million Village Street Bridge project as being at risk.
On X Aug. 9, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell called the MBTA Communities law “a critical tool in solving our state’s housing crisis.”
She added, “Compliance with our laws isn’t optional,” noting that “the majority of communities are taking steps to come into compliance.”
Campbell’s post linked to a story on the Commonwealth Beacon website, which describes Marblehead’s neighbor to the south, Winthrop, as the “latest front in MBTA Communities fight.”
The Fair Housing and Housing Production Plan Implementation committees discussed strategies to improve messaging and build support for the zoning proposal ahead of the special town meeting. Officials said they believed misinformation played a role in the town’s initial rejection and stressed the need for a more effective campaign.
Dirk Isbrandtsen, a Fair Housing Committee member, emphasized the importance of addressing public concerns head on.
“It’s very important for advocates presenting to have a sales pitch oriented, highly organized presentation that not only addresses the benefits of [the MBTA zoning] but also addresses the criticisms and concerns that people have,” Isbrandtsen said.
The meeting also highlighted the formation of a new grassroots organization, the Marblehead Housing Coalition, which aims to advocate for increased housing diversity in the town.
Nick Ward and Trevor Moore, founding members of the coalition, outlined their approach to building support for the zoning proposal.
“Our focus is on sort of playing out … what is the intellectual and rhetorical foundation?” Ward explained. “What is persuasive to us and the members of the Marblehead Housing Coalition is that 3A zoning is good for our town, good for residents of our town.”
The coalition plans to engage in various outreach activities, including phone/text banking and attending community events, to promote their message.
Logan Casey, Marblehead’s sustainability coordinator, provided insight into the town’s efforts to strengthen its planning capabilities. Rejecting 3A puts them in jeopardy, he said.
“We’re hiring a town planner in the next two weeks,” Casey said. “We’ll have a grant writer … and then we’ll have a director-level position as well. We’re really building the staff and the professional support that’s needed to do this long-term planning.”
Officials and advocates alike stressed the importance of presenting concrete information about the potential benefits and impacts of the zoning changes. They plan to showcase specific projects and funding opportunities that could be affected by non-compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.
Kurt James, a member of both committees, offered additional insights on the challenges and potential strategies for passing the MBTA Communities Act zoning proposal.
“Certainly, it’s important to make the presentation a good one,” James said. “Frankly, I thought we did say all the words we needed to say — we had the finance director, really experienced people talking and a PowerPoint. We said all the great things [we needed to say at the Town Meeting]. We just didn’t say it before.”
James emphasized the importance of proactive community outreach and education well in advance of the special town meeting.
“I think as individuals, we need to work with the… Housing Coalition to prep people well in advance, just like the opposition did,” he said. “Because if we don’t do that kind of prepping before, then we’re just going to end up in the same position.”
