
Gloucester City Council and Planning Board to Hold Joint Public Hearings on 3A Compliance
September 4th at 4:07pm.
The Gloucester City Council and Planning Board are holding initial joint public hearings on September 11, 2024, and September 26, 2024, to discuss implementing a proposed Multi-family Overlay District (MFOD) that would comply with the state multi-family housing requirements for MBTA communities commonly referred to as 3A.
The draft Multi-family Overlay District (MFOD) was presented by the Planning Board at 3 public hearings beginning in July and ending in August. Please see a summary of the proposed MFOD below:
- The MFOD consists of the Downtown Station Area, West Gloucester Station Area, Maplewood Avenue Area, and the School Road Area sub-districts.
- In the MFOD, multi-family housing is permitted by right (no special permit required), and there are no age restrictions.
- Multi-family developments created in the MFOD are subject to a site-plan review.
- The maximum density in the Maplewood Ave and School Rd sub-districts is 40 units per acre. Please note that under 3A, there is a minimum density requirement of 15 units per acre.
- The maximum density in the Downtown Station and West Gloucester Station subdistricts in 3 units per lot with the maximum lot size in the Downtown Station and West Gloucester Station being 4,000 square feet and 6,000 square feet. This equates to a maximum density of approximately 33 units per acre in Downtown Station and 22 units per acre in West Gloucester Station.
- In residential development in the MFOD, there is a requirement that at least 10% of the housing units be affordable at 80% Area Median Income (AMI).
The Gloucester City Council will vote on a final proposal for 3A compliance with a simple majority required for approval. The deadline for 3A compliance is December 31, 2024. To read the proposed draft Multi-family Overlay District draft proposal in its entirety, please click HERE. To view the draft Multi-family Overlay District map, please click HERE.
Updates from the upcoming joint public hearings will be posted to the NSR blog.