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1. What is required of a compliant MBTA Housing district?

Multi-family housing must be allowed as-of-right. This means that no variance or special permits are required.  Site Plan Review is allowable.  The regulations shall be without age restrictions and shall be suitable for families with children.

A compliant district must have a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre. 

The district must be of “reasonable” size, which the Commonwealth has defined as a minimum of 50 acres in total area. The district does not have to be contiguous, however, and can contain parcels in different areas with a minimum area of 5 acres and at least one contiguous area including half of the required district size.

The district must create capacity for at least 10% of the existing housing stock in Dracut.  This means an additional 1,233 residential units.  Compliance at the minimum allowable density, 15 units per acre, will require 82.2 acres of land.

2. What areas are not considered developable under the MBTA Communities Zoning Law?

As shown on this map created by NMCOG, the following areas are excluded:

• All publicly owned land, except for portions of lots determined to be developable public land. 
• All rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and other surface waterbodies. 
• All wetland resource areas, together with a buffer zone around wetlands and waterbodies equivalent to the minimum setback required by title 5 of the state environmental code. 
• Protected open space and recreational land that is legally protected in perpetuity, or that is likely to remain undeveloped due to functional or traditional use (for example, cemeteries). 
• All public rights-of-way and private rights-of-way. 
• Privately-owned land on which development is prohibited to protect water supplies.
• Privately-owned land used for educational or institutional uses such as a hospital, utility, museum, or private school/university.

3. What criteria was used to identify potential areas to include in the district?

NMCOG created a series of maps that identify amenities and services of interest, culminating in single map showing the areas with multiple amenities:

• Existing Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) and Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) Bus Routes and stops
• Existing sidewalks
• Public water infrastructure
• Public wastewater infrastructure
• Schools, parks or open space and commercial services

4. What happens if Dracut doesn’t comply with the MBTA Communities Zoning Law?

Failure to comply with the law means the Town would become vulnerable to civil enforcement action by the State and potentially risk liability under Federal and State fair housing laws.

The community would also become ineligible or less likely to receive a wide range of state grants.  These grants have provided over a million dollars to the Town of Dracut in recent years.