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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4085 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 303
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Kristin E. Kassner
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to promote community development planning.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kristin E. Kassner2nd Essex1/17/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/21/2025 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4085 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 303
By Representative Kassner of Hamilton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 303) of
Kristin E. Kassner and Carmine Lawrence Gentile for program to assist cities and towns for the
purpose of creating community development plans. Community Development and Small
Businesses.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to promote community development planning.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1: The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 40Y the
2following chapter:-
3 Chapter 40Z
4 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
5 Section 1 or the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall have the following
6meanings:-
7 "Community development plan" - A community development plan is a comprehensive,
8strategic plan for the future of a city or town, and shall include, among other things, a plan for:
9new housing opportunities; commercial or industrial economic development (if any); existing
10infrastructure and needs to serve new uses including but not limited to; water, transportation, 2 of 4
11housing, and electricity; transportation infrastructure; climate change and resiliency, and open
12space.
13 Section 2. (a) There shall be a Community Development Plan Program, to encourage
14cities and towns to create community development plans that identify existing conditions and
15constraints and locations for new housing and economic development opportunities while still
16preserving the natural resources within their communities.
17 (b) The Secretaries of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs,
18Executive Office of Economic Development, and Executive Office of Housing and Livable
19Communities (the "Secretaries") collectively, shall develop and implement a two-year program
20to provide technical assistance and resources to cities and towns for the purpose of creating
21community development plans. A community development plan shall include, but not be limited
22to, (1) Existing inventory of infrastructure, buildings, land use regulations and natural resources;
23(2) Plans for new housing opportunities, future commercial economic development (if any),
24improvements to transportation infrastructure, water and utility infrastructure needs and
25preservation of open space.
26 c) The Secretaries shall provide assistance to any city or town seeking to create such a
27plan. Such assistance may include the provision of in-kind services or discretionary funds where
28appropriate. In developing the program, the Secretaries also shall assist cities and towns seeking
29to create "regional development plans" that plan for new housing, improved infrastructure,
30economic development and open space on a regional basis. The commonwealth shall provide an
31initial appropriation of $20,000,000 from a direct legislative appropriation or other means thereto
32to ensure all communities have access to resources needed to complete the plan. 3 of 4
33 Section 3: Implementation of the Community Development Plan. The Secretaries shall
34develop and implement a program to give priority in awarding discretionary funds to those cities
35and towns that have completed the plan and have been determined to be taking steps to increase
36the supply of housing for individuals and families across a broad range of incomes, opportunities
37for business and economic development, resiliency plans and infrastructure enhancements . Such
38steps could include: (a) adopting revisions to local zoning or land use regulations that provide for
39more intensive housing development, such as, duplexes, accessory apartments, mixed uses of
40buildings or sites, or multi-family housing; Including but not limited to adopting zoning that
41increases housing opportunities above existing, adoption of 40R, 40Y or 40A, Section 3A (b)
42adopting incentive zoning provisions, such as density bonuses for deed-restricted units for low-
43and moderate-income households; (c) streamlining local permitting processes; (d) providing
44money or land to underwrite the cost of developing housing for low- and moderate-income
45households; (e) increasing the supply of housing for low- and moderate-income households by
46some percentage over existing levels; and (f) providing additional opportunity for economic
47development growth (g) infrastructure enhancements to provide modernization and additional
48growth capacity (h) regional planning initiatives across across areas identified in the community
49development plan.
50 Section 4: Two years after the enactment of this law the secretaries shall provide a report
51to the Clerks of the House and the Senate regarding the status of the communities that have
52created or are in the process of creating community development plans.
53 Section 5: Community Development Plans shall be completed at least every 10 years. 4 of 4
54 SECTION 2: Section 81D of Chapter 41 is hereby amended to add the following
55language after subsection (9):- Community Development Plans created under Chapter 40Z may
56be taken into consideration in the development of the Comprehensive Master Plan.