The Planning and Development Board submitted this letter to the Council reporting its vote that the proposed Village Center Overlay District zoning amendment “meets all of the prescribed criteria for qualifications as a simple-majority vote threshold of the City Council.” This means that the City Council may pass the zoning amendment by simple-majority vote.
The Board explained that the State’s adoption of recent amendments to Chapter 40A, Section 5, no longer require a two-thirds supermajority vote if the proposed zoning amendments provide for increased housing opportunities. State guidance on compliance with Section 100 of Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2020 recommends that the Planning Board provide a determination regarding the appropriate voting threshold. Based on their discussion and deliberations, and consistent with the Senior Assistant City Solicitor’s opinion, the Planning Board voted 6-0-1, that the proposed amendment meets the simple-majority criteria.