What to Know About Needham's NO
By Molly Krupat and Jack Krupat
Published February 14th
Since October of last year, there has been a political divide throughout Needham over the rezoning of specific areas of the town for multifamily housing. These changes were brought about by the MBTA Communities Act, requiring cities and towns with MBTA service to create new housing. Last fall, Needham’s town meeting decided between two plans that would allow the town to meet the law’s requirements: the Base Plan and the Neighborhood Plan. The larger Neighborhood Plan had a decisive victory, exceeding the law’s minimum by over 1,000 possible units. Many residents, however, felt such a change should be verified by a townwide vote. A successful petition by those collectively known as the NRTZ (Needham Residents for Thoughtful Zoning) forced a special election to be held on January 14th to determine whether this plan would be enacted.
Leading up to the January town election, one couldn’t drive down a street without seeing two distinct signs. One front lawn might have a yellow and blue “VOTE YES” sign, supporting the Neighborhood Plan, while the houses on the other side would sport the blue and red “VOTE NO,” hoping to revert to the Base Plan.
It wasn’t just the streets that showed signs of disagreement: town residents argued on the Needham, MA, Facebook page, campaign accounts were launched on Instagram, and teachers at Needham High School discussed the upcoming election with their students.
The election was not based on a simple majority: instead, the NO votes, per the town’s charter, would need to reach a figure of over 5,000 to overturn the town meeting decision. Anything less would keep the Neighborhood Plan in place. With the election being on a cold Tuesday in January, seeing 20% of registered voters vote NO seemed unlikely, but the campaign came out on top with 6,904 votes, while YES fell behind at just under 5,000 votes.
So, why did a simple zoning change split a community right down the middle? And what does this NO mean for Needham? Is it really a win for this town in the long term?
The NO campaign’s principles included the following:
Housing will increase traffic in town.
Housing will increase crowding in the district’s public schools.
The Neighborhood Plan does not zone for senior housing.
Meanwhile, the YES campaign promoted these objectives:
Comply with the State MBTA Communities Act.
Help address the severe shortage of market-affordable housing in our region.
Increase the walkability, access to public transportation, and the vitality of our business and commercial districts.
Expand housing options for people who work in Needham, for young families looking to move into the town and for seniors looking to downsize from single-family homes while remaining in Needham.
Throughout the rezoning process, many have forgotten that the Neighborhood Plan is for zoning only, not development. It is up to private owners to plan, fund, and construct new housing. These projects are all required to follow the town's public site plan review process and comply with applicable codes and permitting. The Neighborhood Plan also requires that 12.5% affordable housing be included in any developments of six or more units proposed; the remaining units will be at market rate.
Regardless, Needham ultimately sided against the Neighborhood Plan. Until a new plan can be drafted to comply with the MBTA laws and the desires of residents, the town will remain unchanged.
However, there is a housing crisis in Massachusetts. The state has estimated that housing need in the Commonwealth sits at around 200,000 units. Of course, Needham can’t fix the issue itself, but surrounding communities such as Wellesley, Dedham, Newton, and Westwood are already in compliance with the MBTA Act; all cities and towns must play their part in responding to the crisis, including Needham. The largest issue with the Neighborhood Plan for most residents was its “overcompliance.” A decent number of those who did end up voting NO wanted a simpler plan that allows less drastic changes to be made in their town. But until the town meeting looks at a new plan in May, a NO means “nothing.”
Sources:
https://needhamobserver.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-needhams-vote-on-mbta-law/
https://yesforneedham.com/faqs/
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/14/business/needham-mbta-communities-zoning-vote/
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/needham-mbta-communities-law-state-guidelines/