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Gregory Sampson was quoted in the article "Massachusetts Towns That Embraced Rezoning Law See Uptick In Development Proposals," published by Bisnow [sub. req'd] on November 3, 2024. 

The article looks at how some Massachusetts towns, like Milton, are legally challenging the MBTA Communities Act, which encourages new apartment developments near transit stops, while others, such as Lexington, have successfully embraced the law, resulting in a surge of housing proposals. As of October 1, seventy-five communities have passed new zoning rules, but pushback from residents concerned about development continues, leading to ongoing legal disputes and uncertainty about future compliance.

"It really comes down to who is thinking about ways to promote new housing, especially near transit, and where is this being completely driven by NIMBYs and naysayers and alarmists about impacts of development," Greg said.

"I have a number of clients working on projects that are either in districts that have been designated or in districts that there's an effort to designate. There are great examples where even cities and towns are taking meaningful action to create new opportunities. I think there's been a big focus on that kind of aspect of the law."

With a year-end deadline looming for communities to pass zoning that complies with the MBTA Communities Act enacted in 2021, some towns will have to move ahead as best they can despite lingering uncertainty about compliance.

"For the cities and towns that are on the fence, I don't expect you're going to get a clear-cut direction in two and a half months," Sampson said. "A lot of people are going to have to make decisions based on a best guess on how it's going to play out."