Focus on Weston Urges Approval of 3A MBTA Communities Zoning. Vote YES on Articles 5 & 6 at the October 15 Special Town Meeting
You don't have to like 3A—but you can recognize when Weston has made the best of this controversial mandate. Let's be honest: many Weston residents oppose the MBTA Communities Act. The State's interference in local zoning feels like an overreach, and many of us supported the Town's efforts to challenge it.
Weston held out hope—and the courts ruled against us. The Town waited while the Milton case wound through the courts, hoping the law would be overturned or modified. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the law, and the Attorney General's office made the consequences clear: 3A is valid and enforceable.
Now we must proceed—regardless of how we feel about the law. With enforcement actions looming, including withholding state grants for education and infrastructure projects as well as potential daily fines, Weston has no choice but to move forward. The question isn't whether we comply, but how we maintain control over our own planning and zoning process.
And here's where our patience and persistence has delivered better results. Remember the proposal that voters overwhelmingly rejected last December by a vote of 195-544? That rushed plan included sites like the Wightman Tennis Center, Granite Brook Landscape Company, and multiple locations that would have significantly impacted established neighborhoods. The new plan coming before voters on October 15 is dramatically better—and it's better precisely because we took the time to get it right.
What makes this plan a win for Weston? The centerpiece is the Boston Properties campus at 133 Boston Post Road—currently a 350,000-square-foot office building that generates significant traffic. The new plan envisions transforming this site into "Quarry Pond Village," a thoughtfully designed multigenerational neighborhood that would, upon completion, actually reduce traffic by an estimated 40% compared to current use.
Here's what the phased Boston Properties campus development would look like:
Phase 1 (Short-term): 100 Townhomes
Low-density housing located nearest the Church Street, Hillcrest, and Hobbs Brook neighborhoods
Would increase Weston’s housing stock by just 2%
Phase 2 (Short-term): 280 Apartments
Higher-density units located at the center of the site, furthest from adjacent properties
Would increase housing stock by an additional 7%
Minimal visibility from Boston Post Road and no visibility from other Weston locations
Phase 3 (Long-term): 100 Age-Restricted Units
Active adult residential facility overlooking the south quarry pond
Replacing the existing office building
When built, total increase would be about 10% of housing stock
The Boston Properties campus offers significant advantages:
Immediate adjacency to the commuter rail (with a potential new station location)
Immediate access to 80 acres of adjacent conservation land
Connection to existing and proposed rail trails, with access to town center and eventually across Route 128 to Waltham
Preservation of Duck Pond's critical wildlife habitat
Maximal green space and minimal paved surfaces
Optimal views of quarry ponds and natural features
On-site waste management and minimal impacts on town services and infrastructure
A variety of on-site amenities suitable for each residential type
Up to 15% affordable units in all three phases
The three long-term 3A zoning sites are strategic buffers: Beyond the Boston Properties site, the plan includes three additional overlay districts that are unlikely to be developed near term:
Merriam Village: Any development would require both amending the development agreement and Town Meeting approval—giving residents direct control—and given the current use is unlikely to be redeveloped in the near term. All units would be designated for seniors.
751 Boston Post Road: Already under development with 172 units under Chapter 40B zoning; the 3A overlay only allows 99 units, making conversion very unlikely near term.
75/99 Norumbega Road (Charles River Recovery and Maplewood): Zoning concentrated on sites "apart from the rest of town" with minimal community impact, also unlikely to be redeveloped near term.
Weston doesn't need to approve half-baked plans. This new and better 3A plan is what happens when Weston takes its time and respects a thoughtful, iterative process. After May's Town Meeting, the joint Select Board and Planning Board working group met weekly throughout the summer, refining and improving the proposal. The result is a plan that not only complies with state requirements but actually creates something that can be beneficial for our community.
The new plan embodies the aspirations of the MBTA 3A Act while creating a diverse new neighborhood consistent with Weston's character that minimizes impacts on the town's fabric. It's a win-win.
What you need to do: Attend the Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. and VOTE YES on articles 5 and 6.
The articles are linked and both must pass to confirm approval:
Article 5: Ratifies the zoning bylaw amendment
Article 6: Ratifies the development agreement with Boston Properties
Focus on Weston believes this plan represents the best outcome we can achieve under the circumstances and urges you to vote yes on Articles 5 and 6. You don't have to love 3A. But you can recognize that Weston's approach—refusing to rush, waiting for legal clarity, and developing a thoughtful plan—has produced a significantly better result than what was proposed last December.
Attend Weston Special Town Meeting
7:00 PM on Monday, October 15th
Weston High School