Introduction & Overview

The Town of Paxton (“Paxton”) has performed a great deal of research and work to seek the best ways to comply with the MBTA Communities Act (the “Act”) in the context of the needs and realities of Paxton. The Act (which was passed by the Massachusetts state legislature and signed into law by former Governor Charlie Baker in 2021) requires that the 177 municipalities in the MBTA’s service area (including Paxton) have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing with no age restrictions and suitable for families with children is permitted as of right. The requirement is codified as Section 3A of MGL c. 40A. Paxton is considered an “adjacent small town” pursuant to the Act.
What does this mean for Paxton?

By Dec. 31, 2025, Paxton must establish and approve a zoning district that could (but is not required to) be developed at some point that:
  • Allows for a minimum of 84 units at a gross density of at least 15 housing units per acre
  • Is not age-restricted and must be suitable for families with children

What does Paxton actually need to do?
  • Select a district or districts to be zoned for compliance with the Act
  • Write a zoning bylaw regulating this specific type of development in the proposed district

Vote at Town Meeting to approve this bylaw and a zoning map amendment before the Compliance Deadline or risk losing access to significant and necessary Massachusetts state funds

It should be noted that the Act:
  • Does NOT require that multi-family housing, in fact, be built
  • Does NOT compel Paxton to pay for or approve new infrastructure like sewer or water
  • Does NOT supersede or override Paxton wetlands or Title V laws or any of Paxton’s general bylaws or regulations
The Act DOES allow Paxton to maintain control of future development in the proposed district through Paxton’s local regulations and bylaws and allows Paxton to develop specific zoning regulations for any proposed district, such as design criteria, setbacks, and dimensional requirements.

Please share your input by completing the survey below

The purpose of this survey is to capture feedback from the residents of Paxton as to the best place in Paxton to overlay a zoning district that fully complies with the Act. To jumpstart this process, Paxton has identified a few potential locations which are outlined in the survey.

Want to learn more before you complete the survey?

Before you take this survey, please review the information at: https://www.townofpaxton.net/mbta, which includes:
  • General information on the Act
  • Paxton’s specific obligations under the Act
  • A DRAFT MBTA Communities section for Paxton’s zoning bylaws

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your feedback and input with Paxton.

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