By Adam Swift
A change to the zoning ordinance proposed by City Council President Anthony Zambuto could affect Revere’s compliance with the MBTA 3A Communities Act, the state law geared toward creating housing.
At the end of January, Zambuto submitted the proposed ordinance change which would require the council to issue a special permit for residential development in zoning districts that also allow businesses.
At the time, Zambuto noted that the ordinance change would not do away with the city’s zoning board. If projects received the special permit from the council but needed dimensional relief, they would still have to go before the ZBA, he said.
He also noted in January that the proposed ordinance change would likely see some changes in the zoning subcommittee before a potential vote by the full council.
At a public hearing held by the city council Monday night, Planning and Community Development Director Tom Skwierawski spoke in opposition to the ordinance change as currently written.
“This proposal would bring us out of compliance with the MBTA Communities state law,” said Skwierawski. “Back in December of 2023, we had to come into compliance with this law, which states that we have to allow for the creation of at least 25 percent of our housing stock by right through our zoning codes. At that time … we had two different zoning districts, one in Green Street and one on Shirley Avenue that helped us come into compliance with the ordinance.”
However, Skwierawski said there were also a series of other zoning districts that helped the city build a baseline for compliance.
“We had to have 6,135 units that we would be allowed to create by right through zoning, and those two districts covered about 2,500 of that 6,135,” he said. “So the other districts that played a critical role were those in the RC and GB districts, which between those accounted for about 3,065 of our calculation.”
If the ordinance were to change and require special permits for residential development in the RC and GB districts, Skwierawski said Revere would no longer be in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.
Skwierawski said the ordinance changes would also place a heavier burden on both the city council and applicants with one- and two-family residential projects.
Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio asked if the proposed ordinance changes to the neighborhood business district would affect 3A compliance, and Skwierawski said it would not.
“We can’t put in place what I had originally hoped for, we have to be in compliance with the MBTA community law, as much as that hurts my throat to say that,” said Zambuto. “Councillor Argenzio brought up one of the points I was going to bring up … this is going to committee and we are going to work out the details. We know the big details we are dictated by, but we do have some tweaking we can do that will protect neighborhoods, so this will go to zoning.”