New draft regulations from Massachusetts governor Maura Healey would drastically reduce the time spent on environmental review for new housing projects across the state.
The amended regulations would cut the environmental review period from one year or more to just 30 days for housing-related projects. The administration hopes to fast track housing development and speed up construction time, thus incentivizing developers.
“Getting housing built can take too much time and too many resources,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll in a press release. “These proposed reforms will make the review process more straightforward and reduce the kind of delays that drive up costs. By creating more certainty and cutting down on unnecessary steps, we can get homes under construction faster.”
To qualify for the accelerated process, projects must meet certain criteria:
- All projects must serve a residential purpose, or 67% residential purposes for mixed-use developments.
- Properties must meet acreage thresholds depending on housing style.
- Projects can tamper with up to 5 acres of undeveloped land, or up to 10 acres with a tree preservation and replanting plan.
- Developers must avoid land that qualifies as priority habitat, prime farmland or carbon rich forest.
- All new developments must be constructed outside the current floodplain, avoid environmental hazards and follow resilient design principles.
- Projects must meet energy efficient standards and not exceed utility capacities for water and waste.
- Developers must consider transit needs and limit the extent of new traffic to project sites.
The administration insists that the fast tracked review process will not result in fewer environmental protections.
“We don’t have to choose between building the housing we desperately need and protecting the forests, farmlands, wetlands and biodiversity that makes Massachusetts one of the best places to live in the country,” said Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. “This plan will deliver more units — faster and smarter — while providing long-term energy cost savings for homeowners and renters.”