BREAKING: North Middlesex Calls Special Town Meeting on Sept. 25 — Major Zoning and Housing Decisions on the Table

By The ClearScope Network | @ClearScopeNet

September 11, 2025

Residents of North Middlesex, Massachusetts will have the opportunity to weigh in on a series of major local planning and zoning decisions during a Special Town Meeting scheduled for:

🗓️ Thursday, September 25, 2025
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 North Middlesex Regional High School Auditorium

The meeting will cover six separate articles that touch on land conservation, housing development, historic preservation, and election transparency.

📄 What’s On the Agenda?

The meeting will feature six articles, several of which are directly tied to the town’s compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, a Massachusetts law requiring cities and towns served by the MBTA to update zoning laws to allow for multi-family housing near transit hubs.

📌 Residents can review key materials in advance:

View the official warrant for the meeting

https://cms3.revize.com/revize/townsend/Town%20Clerk/Warrant%20-%20Special%20Town%20Meeting%209-25-25%20(posted).pdf?t=202509111124510&t=202509111124510

Learn more about the MBTA Communities Act from the Land Use Department

https://www.townsendma.gov/news_detail_T21_R201.php

Summary of Articles:

Article 1 – Proposes transferring care, custody, and control of a parcel on 0 Dudley Road (Map 19, Block 80, Lot 0) from the Select Board to the Conservation Commission.

Article 2 – Proposes the creation of a Multi-Family Overlay District along Fitchburg Road, permitting multi-family housing as of right subject to defined standards for site planning, building scale, landscaping, parking, and related criteria. It also amends the Zoning Bylaw by updating certain definitions and removing occupancy limits. These changes are intended to bring the Town into compliance with the MBTA Communities Zoning Requirement under M.G.L. c. 40A, §3A.

Article 3 – Proposes expanding the new Multi-Family Overlay District to also allow single-family homes to be built by right in the overlay district. It would update related definitions and dimensional standards to reflect this change.

Article 4 – Proposes amending the Historic Districts Bylaw (Chapter 54) to add an enforcement section authorizing the Building Inspector and the Historic District Commission to take legal action to ensure compliance or prevent violations.

Article 5 – Proposes that the Town accept Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 53, Section 18B, which requires the Town to provide and mail explanatory information about ballot questions to each household before an election.

Article 6 – A citizen’s petition proposing amendments to the Zoning Bylaw to prohibit apartment/multifamily buildings on two specified parcels (Map 10, Parcels 52 and 70) and to exclude these parcels from open-space multifamily development provisions.

This Special Town Meeting presents a critical opportunity for residents to help shape the future of housing, land use, and civic policy in North Middlesex. All registered voters are encouraged to attend and participate.

For updates and analysis, follow @ClearScopeNet as we continue to cover the decisions impacting your local community.