MBTA Communities & reading

Upcoming Events:

The CPDC's public hearings on the proposed zoning changes will be from December through February, ahead of April Town Meeting. Upcoming meeting dates are tentatively scheduled to be held in the Select Board Room at Town Hall and on Zoom, details updated closer to each event date. 

  • December 18: 7pm
  • January 22: 7pm
  • February 5: 7pm 

Preliminary Proposal for our New Zoning District - Dimensional Controls & Map Options 

Staff presented our preliminary proposal for our new compliant zoning district at our event on 11-8-23. The slides detailing our proposal and relevant supporting information can be downloaded here. The two map options can be downloaded here as a PDF. A recording of the event can be viewed here.

Staff takeaways from the public discussion and comments received on the Preliminary Plan design will result in the following changes to our final district proposal:

  • Staying within the 1/2-mile zone 
  • Include the lots on both sides of any street in the proposed new district
  • Focus on walkability and distance from downtown while following natural boundaries and building form in the neighborhoods
  • The possible inclusion of Affordable housing requirements 

Results of our Survey

Read the report summarizing the results of our Survey on multi-family housing in Reading, which was open from June through August 2023. You can access a PDF of the survey questions here

Prior Events:

#1 - Tuesday September 19: 7pm

An educational session was held, both in person at the Reading Public Library and on Zoom. The focus of the event was on providing background on the law, defining the concepts that relate to the law and compliance, learning about the history of zoning in Reading, our housing goals, and the results of our survey. A recording of the event can be viewed here as recorded by RCTV. A PDF of the slides can be downloaded here

#2 - Wednesday October 11: 7pm

An interactive workshop on aspects of zoning and the location of our district was held in person at the Reading Public Library. The focus of the workshop was on learning about and discussing the tradeoffs of the dimensional aspects of zoning and mapping a district. A recording of the event can be viewed here as recorded by RCTV. A PDF of the slides can be downloaded here

To explore the workshop topics yourself:
Adjust zoning setbacks and max lot coverage using this interactive zoning visualizer tool
Consider the preferred location for the new zoning district by exploring on GIS and using the markup tool to draw the district 

Economic Development Summit Presentation - Wednesday October 25: 7pm

Staff gave a summary of our first two Knowledge Series events at this combined Economic Development Summit and Financial Forum. A recording of the event can be viewed here as recorded by RCTV.  A PDF of the slides can be downloaded here. 

#3 - Wednesday November 8: 7pm

Staff presentation of our preliminary proposal and two map options, with a robust Q&A both on dimensional controls and mapping options. A PDF of the slides detailing our proposal and relevant supporting information can be downloaded here. A PDF of the two map options can be downloaded here. A recording of the event can be viewed here.

We're also doing general outreach at community events and committee meetings. 

We've been at: 

  • Friends & Family Day 6/10
  • Library Concert 6/20
  • Library Concert 7/14
  • Finance Committee 7/25
  • Conservation Commission 8/9
  • Historical Commission 8/16
  • Presentation at the Pleasant Street Center 8/17
  • Climate Advisory Committee 8/23
  • School Committee 9/7
  • Fall Street Faire 9/10
  • New Resident Open House 10/3
  • Economic Development Summit / Financial Forum 10/25