Does Article 13 in the Fall 2025 Warrant originate from Article 7 of the 2022 Fall Warrant?
Yes, 2025 Warrant Article 13 addresses changes made (to a footnote to an attachment) to the Zoning Bylaws via Article 7 of 2022 Town Meeting.
At a high level our understanding the Article 7 of the Fall 2022 Fall Town Meeting Warrant was mainly about adding "Life Sciences" language to the existing zoning laws. Correct?
Article 7 in 2022 not only added Laboratory Language for Life Sciences, but also permitted it to be introduced into a specifically targeted residential area (spot zoning). Additionally, it mandated that 60% of the area would be required to support Life Sciences and 40% could be used for other commercial purposes. There is no definition as to how such ratios might be maintained through time as the property is sub-divided and changes ownership to protect the neighborhood. One thing, also not clearly evident, is that because this was passed as a bylaw, it allows builders to bypass normal town approval processes requiring a ZBA variance for building heights in excess of 45 feet. The only truly feasible properties are owned by one developer. In 2022 phrases such as "One stop shopping" and "crafting zoning by project" were used to describe how the Planning Board envisioned leveraging the bylaw to expedite approval for developers. Such an approach bypasses proven town processes at the expense of residents.
In Article 13 in the Fall 2025 Warrant - how will striking out that language change the outcome. By deleting that section, wouldn't it make it easier for these type of developments anywhere?
Striking out the language added to (the footnote of an attachment to) the Zoning Bylaw would revert to the previous zoning prior to the passage of Article 7 in 2022. Previous zoning prevented ANY Commercial development to be introduced into residentially zoned areas without going through rigorous town review and approval processes. Striking out the language prevents setting a precedent that could open the door to planned commercial development anywhere via "crafting zoning by project". The current bylaw from 2022 sets a precedent that planned commercial development may be allowed in a targeted residential area at the discretion of the Planning Board. Such is unsettling for residents who entrusted Dedham with their families, fortunes, and futures holding the belief that their residential neighborhoods were stable and protected from commercial intrusion. SRA (Single Residence A) zoning District and all residential zoning districts, have specific bylaws to insure residential integrity of the neighborhoods. The passage of the 2022 bylaw provided a work around to some of these protections as well as discount some of the goals and strategies set forth in the Dedham Master Plan. Town Meeting Members voted in 2022 without having all of the available information available to them. (ie. Town Counsel flagging this as potentially in conflict with Mass zoning law, bypassing of proven standard town processes, a conflict of interest, the developer's attorney assisting to craft the legislation from the audience, no interpretation of long term 60/40 enforcement, reduced residential zoning protection, an alternative solution) As a side note, the project area formerly was all single residential lots that were consolidated by the developer and approved by the Planning Board a few years prior to the 2022 bylaw being brought to Town Meeting