Did you know Peabody is an MBTA community and therefore must have at least one zoning district near a transit station in which multi-family housing is allowed as a right? Failure to comply with the law results in a loss of Peabody’s eligibility for certain funding programs.

The Peabody City Council’s Industrial & Community Development subcommittee meets on Nov. 13 to review a Compliance Analysis by RKG Associates of Boston that promotes a Multi-Family Overlay District (MFOD). The zoning change would allow 90 acres of Brooksby Village and 30 acres on Dearborn Road to be used for a maximum of 2,336 housing units.

The 90.6 acre lot at 1 Brooksby Village Drive in Ward 4 is on the edge of an Environmental Justice area. It would allow eighteen units per acre maximum density which translates into a 1,630 multi-family unit capacity. Two lots at 0 and 7 Dearborn in Ward 5 are in an Environmental Justice area and constitute 30.7 acres that allows for 23 units per acre and a total multi-family unit capacity of 706.

The Dearborn and Brooksby sites are two of five areas analyzed. The analysis also considered: 24 acres of the Route 114 District, 30 acres of Terrace Estates and Salem Country Club’s 380 acres.

The plan would change the city’s Designated Development Residential Overlay district to a Multi-Family Overlay zone. The proposed changes will be discussed by the Peabody City Council on Thursday, Nov. 14. Peabody City Hall, 6:30pm. The hybrid meeting is also virtual. Click this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84324700383

Here are videos about the MBTA Communities Law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iewb77s33XM&t=3s