Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 19, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 5 REAL ESTATE INSIDER As bankHometown becomes TruNorth Bank, one thing remains unchanged: our commitment to local businesses. You'll find the same trusted team, the same local decision-making, and the same dedication to helping our neighborhoods thrive. Now, with the added strength and resources of TruNorth Bank behind us, we're ready to help your business reach higher, grow stronger, and rise to every opportunity. Learn more at TruNorthBank.com or call 855.527.4111. RISE ABOVE BUSINESS AS USUAL. Ballot question would reduce house lot sizes Supporters say initiative would expand housing. Opponents say communities lose control BY MONICA BENEVIDES Special to WBJ W ith affordable housing in demand in Mas- sachusetts, voters in November will consider a ballot question that would reduce the minimum lot size for home construction. Ballot Question 7 would set a statewide minimum residential zoning requirement of 5,000 square feet, or just under an eighth of an acre. To be buildable under the provision, the land would also need access to public sewer and water and include 50 feet of land bordering the street, road or public way it faces, according to a summary from Attorney General An- drea Campbell. If the question fails, nothing would change. If passed, the bill includes pro- visions to maintain local control. Cities and towns would be allowed to continue regulating aspects of new builds, including height, distance from neighboring structures, parking requirements, open space and whether the dwellings may be used as short- term rentals. e law would not apply to Boston, which is exempt from the Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A and has its own zoning regula- tions. e dialogue over the initiative has largely hinged on whether the state- wide change would limit local com- munities' ability to govern themselves. "I think the concept is great," said state Sen. Michael Moore, who represents Auburn, Graon, Mill- bury, Shrewsbury, Westborough, and parts of Worcester. e question may be well-intended, he said, but the approach is too simplistic. He cited concerns about increasing congestion in suburban and rural towns, where he said people move to escape density in more urban areas. Residents who invested in towns with more sprawling spaces could see those qualities change, which could also affect property investments made years earlier, he said. "I think [what supporters are] missing is the reaction from some of the more suburban areas when they realize what they voted for," Moore said. "I think at that point is when you're going to get pushback." He likened the initiative to the MBTA Communities Act, which took effect in 2021. at law requires 177 communities that host or border towns with MBTA transit options to establish multifamily zoning by right, ideally close to MBTA stations. at law has faced legal challenges, although the state's courts have re- peatedly upheld it. In some areas, new multifamily housing complying with the law has already opened. Moore said the law's language also needs more clarity. While the zon- ing changes would apply only to lots with access to public water and sewer, which would exempt a number of communities right away, he ques- tioned whether towns with some pub- lic utility options would be required to expand them. In general, Moore said he'd prefer to see the zoning change as a local choice requiring approval from elected boards or town meetings, although he conceded that is technically already an option. How much would change? For context, Samantha McDon- ald, a real estate lawyer and partner at Worcester-based Bowditch & continues on page 6

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