Submitted by 

Wrentham Engagement

Wrentham will hold a Special Town Meeting on December 16 to vote on zoning changes proposed to meet the requirements of the MBTA Communities Act. In advance of the Special Town Meeting, Wrentham Engagement, a local, grass-roots non-partisan effort, plans on hosting an MBTA Communities Act Focus Group Panel Discussion on Thursday, December 5 at 7 p.m. The panel discussion will be held in the Fiske Library’s Sweatt Room.

The MBTA Communities Act is a new Massachusetts law that requires cities and towns to allow more multi-family housing near transit stations. The law applies to 177 cities and towns in the Greater Boston area that have or are near MBTA transit stations. For the purposes of the law, Wrentham is considered an MBTA community. The law requires that each MBTA Community establish a zoning district where multi-family housing is permitted as of right. 

MBTA communities have until December 31, 2024, to make appropriate zoning changes to be in compliance with the law. The Wrentham Planning Board has been developing zoning recommendations to comply with the law. The Board is currently finalizing the proposed changes through an on-going public hearing process.

Wrentham Engagement formed last year to encourage greater voter awareness and engagement in the events that shape Wrentham’s governance and future. The purpose of the Focus Group Panel is to provide registered voters a chance before Town Meeting to discuss the requirements for the zoning proposal, bring forth questions about the proposals, and discuss whether or not they are in favor of the proposed zoning changes.

Voters at the Special Town meeting will be asked to approve or reject the proposed zoning changes. The requirements of the law are complex and the vote, either way, will likely have significant impacts on Wrentham’s future.

Wrentham Engagement is looking for participants to volunteer ahead of time to be on the December 5 panel. This is not a presentation but a moderated discussion of the issues. Panelists can be for or against the new law or may be undecided and looking for more information. A facilitator will ask questions designed to elicit concerns and questions. Registered voters not on the panel are also invited to attend.

To be on the panel, complete the form found at https://bit.ly/WEFocusGroup. All registered voters are also invited to join the Wrentham Engagement email list for notifications about Town Meetings and local elections by signing up at https://bit.ly/joinWEemail. More information about the MBTA Communities Act can be found on the Town website at https://bit.ly/MBTA-Communities.