What are other towns doing?
A total of 177 towns in MA are subject to the MBTA Communities zoning mandate. Carlisle is considered an "adjacent small town" and is included in the final group, with a Dec 2025 deadline. Many towns with more direct MBTA access have already implemented their zoning, and in some cases there are significant impacts to learn from.
While there is huge variance in the size and characteristics of these towns, the overwhelming majority of them have complied by zoning very close to the minimum amount of land required. Some have openly stated that the goal is for little or no resulting build-out.
​
Here's a summary of how some of the towns most similar to Carlisle are complying, what has happened when towns have over-zoned developable land, and how our neighboring towns are approaching the law.
Adjacent small towns with limited or no municipal infrastructure
Boxborough
Boxborough will vote on its zoning proposal at Town Meeting on October 14, 2025. Boxborough is required to zone to acommodate 118 units, and its proposed MBTA district consists of slightly over 5 acres and 5 parcels. Four of the 5 parcels are just under an acre and are already developed with apartment buildings. The fifth parcel appears to be slightly larger than one acre and is described as able to be developed (the exact acreage was not provided online). Boxborough describes its plan as “hybrid” because 4 of the 5 parcels do not lend themselves to additional development, while one does. Boxborough is proposing the minimum amount of land, and the proposed district is immediately adjacent to their border with Littleton. A map on Littleton's town website shows that a water main runs right to the edge of Boxborough where the proposed district lies. According to minutes of the Boxborough Planning Board’s August 18, 2025 meeting, the Town Planner stated: “What we’re presenting to you tonight is a finished product. We are ready to go to Town Meeting, and I’m confident that as we review this, you will see that we have driven this district down to the smallest possible size we can get it . . . [.]”
Boxford
Boxford is currently looking at 3 possible one-site options to fulfill their 141-unit quota. Each option is between 9 and 12 acres and would allow for between 144 and 183 units after accounting for excluded land and zoning at a density from 15.5 to 17.5 units/ac. The town previously submitted a favorite option for pre-approval, but discovered it was non-compliant because it lacked required frontage on a public road. They have asked the state for a compliance extension until after their May 2026 Town Meeting, as they do not think they have enough time to properly vet and approve a new plan before the end of the year.
Stow
Stow is proposing a minimum land area district that includes only the amount of developable land needed to meet their quota of 139 housing units.
Sherborn
Sherborn chose a 6-acre MBTA district that received final approval from the state in July 2025. Sherborn’s housing quota was 78 units and their minimum acreage amount was 5 acres; accordingly, their resulting district will be slightly larger than the minimum 5-acre size. Sherborn’s plan relies on EOHLC allowing adjacent small towns to set unit caps on single parcels, where the parcel is so large that otherwise it would exceed the required unit capacity at the required density. Sherborn selected an approximately 22-acre single parcel immediately adjacent to Natick and Framingham. Of this parcel, up to 6 acres can be developed with multi-family housing at a density of 15 units per acre. Sherborn is in the process of establishing a Water and Sewer commission in this location to share infrastructure with Framingham and Natick.
Dover
Dover is an adjacent small town with a MBTA Communities housing unit quota of 102 units. Dover is proposing to rezone a private condominium development on the border with Walpole, which is close to Route 128 and the Norwood and Walpole commuter rail stops. Dover’s proposed district is just under ten acres. Like Sherborn, Dover is employing a strategy of capping units. Dover proposes to allow a maximum of 16 units per acre. Without the unit cap, the capacity of this district would be 227 housing units; with the cap, the capacity is 159 units. Dover is preparing to vote on their proposal this fall.
Towns that over-zoned readily-developable land
Loomis Street, Bedford Condominium Development with condos listed at $1.49 Million/Unit.
Lexington
In 2023, Lexington rezoned for more than ten times the necessary number of housing units. The response was extraordinarily swift, with over 1100 housing units in progress by the end of the year.
​
On March 17, 2025, Lexington Town Meeting decisively (94%) voted to limit its ambitious MBTA Communities plan and reduce its multi-family housing districts. You can read more here: Letter to the editor: Vote YES on Article 2 - The Lexington Observer
Bedford
In Bedford, over 60 housing units were approved or under review within a half year of state approval. The Loomis Street development received Planning Board approval in December 2024 in spite of concerns among Bedford residents, some of whom have sold their homes. Existing homes were demolished, and building began in March 2025.
​
You can read about the concerns that Bedford residents voiced prior to the Planning Board approval here: Neighbors Object to Multi-Unit Housing Zone on Loomis Street - The Bedford Citizen
Neighboring towns
Loomis Street Demolition of Single Family Housing which was replaced with 15 Condominium Units.
Concord
In 2024, Concord adopted MBTA Communities zoning covering 31 parcels in 5 subdistricts. Two districts are near the T station in West Concord and 3 are near Concord center. Concord chose to zone over existing multi-family properties as well as commercial properties.
Among others, Concord zoned over the apartment building between Main Street and Keyes Road in Concord center; over the Mobil gas station and Starbucks at the intersection of Thoreau Street and Sudbury Road; and over the Millbrook Tarry shopping plaza.
According to the May 17, 2024 edition of Upzone Update (an online publication), “[m]any of the parcels were selected for rezoning already have existing multi-family housing or new buildings that are unlikely to be redeveloped soon.”
Sudbury
Sudbury approved their zoning in May 2024. According to Patch, “Sudbury’s approval, however, likely won’t mean an increase in multi-family housing. The town created zoning overlay districts to comply with the law that cover . . . existing dense housing developments along the Boston Post Road and Route 117.”
Acton
Acton also has compliant zoning. They created one district within a half mile of the South Acton Commuter Rail Station with density of 10 units per acre. They also rezoned a large parcel along Powder Mill Road at a density of 25 units per acre.
Chelmsford
According to a Banker and Tradesman article dated March 8, 2024 and entitled Making As Many Barriers As Possible to MBTA Zoning, the Chelmsford Planning Board adopted a strategy specifically to minimize additional housing development. The Board placed the MBTA district along a section of Route 110 already built with condominium complexes under individual ownership.
Westford
After creating their MBTA Communities district, Westford discovered that there is only enough electrical capacity for one project. According to the July 16, 2025 minutes of Westford’s Clean Energy and Sustainability Committee, National Grid rejected a second MBTA Communities project because it overtaxed grid capacity. According to these minutes, connecting to another grid might be unaffordable.
Here are the actual July 16 minutes from the Westford Clean Energy committee:
MBTA Communities developments
• 2 multi-family projects along Route 110 were proposed. National Grid accepted the first. and rejected the second because it overtaxed grid capacity.
• A National Grid study about the rejected Regency project was done and its conclusions are being assessed. Mike shared that report with Beth and Tom. They will brief conclusions later. Beth said the Regency project could be connected to another circuit, but that cost might be unaffordable without multiple parties sharing it.
• Mike asserted that adopting the MA Specialized Energy Code will add solar PV and improve energy efficiency, helping reduce demand, especially peak demand. Another opinion is that the Specialized Code will add load to the grid, given the focus on electrification. Resolving this dispute could help advance adoption of the Specialized Code.
• Generators, solar PV, and battery interconnections are also potential issues for National Grid to accept new projects onto the grid.