HONE Advisory Group

Final Zoning Articles for October 21, 2024 Special Town Meeting:

1. Overview of Articles 8-11: Multi-Family Overlay District, Base Compliance Plan and Neighborhood Housing Plan - Provided by the Planning Board
2. Zoning Maps Relative to Articles 8-11 - Provided by the Planning Board
3. Base and Neighborhood Housing Plan Zoning Parameters - Provided by the Planning Board
4. MBTA Communities Act FAQs - Provided by the Planning Board
5. Aerial Maps Relative to Articles 8-11 - Provided by the Planning Board
6. Multifamily Housing Visualizations - Provided by the Planning Board
7. Memo Relative to Capital Impacts Assessment of Proposed MBTA Communities Act Zoning - Provided by the Planning Board
8. Memo Relative to MBTA Communities Act Zoning Proposals School Enrollment Analysis - Provided by the Planning Board
9. Fiscal Impact Analyses Relative to Articles 8-11 - Provided by the Planning Board
10. Traffic Impact Assessment and Mitigation Strategies Relative to Articles 8-11 - Provided by the Planning Board
11. Unit Capacity Analysis Relative to Articles 8-11 - Provided by the Planning Board

HONE Meeting Agendas, Presentations, Minutes and other helpful Documents can be found here. 

Appendix 7 from the Town's 2021 Housing Plan acted as a starting off point for HONE. You may review it here. 

Final from Consultants as of April 30, 2024 

• Final Maps
• Final Zoning
• MBTA Communities Summary Report, prepared by RKG Associates, dated April 2024

Housing Needham (HONE) Advisory Group

The Housing Needham (HONE) Advisory Group was established jointly by the Select Board and Planning Board in 2023. The group will lead the community engagement process to create multi-family zoning that complies with the MBTA Communities Act (MGL c.40A Section 3A). The group will advise the Select Board and Planning Board on proposed zoning to bring to Town Meeting in 2024, informed by their individual expertise, group deliberations, and feedback received from the public.

The Housing Needham (HONE) Advisory Group will:

1. Lead a broad public engagement effort for the Needham community to envision and shape zoning to allow multi-family housing that complies with the MBTA Communities Act.  
2. Utilize the recommendations in the Town of Needham’s 2022 Housing plan as a starting point.  
3. Evaluate build-outs, projections, and analyses of fiscal, school enrollment, and infrastructure impacts provided by staff and consultants.   
4. Consider related zoning elements that are allowed, but not required under the MBTA Communities Act, including but not limited to inclusionary zoning (affordable housing requirements) and parking minimums. 
5. Update the Select Board, Planning Board and Finance Committee throughout the process on group deliberations and community feedback.  
6. Recommend draft zoning to the Select Board and Planning Board to submit to DHCD and Town Meeting.

Members

The Housing Needham (HONE) Advisory Group consists of nine residents. Some are appointed by the Select Board and others are appointed by the Planning Board. Each will serve through the end of 2024.