Town of Mansfield
6 Park Row, Mansfield, Massachusetts 02048
Economic Development
Christopher McDermott
Press Release
For Immediate Publication
September 8, 2022
The Town of Mansfield announced plans for a public meeting on Thursday, September 22, to discuss community objectives and zoning amendments relative to the downtown MBTA Commuter Station’s surrounding area. The meeting will be held in the Community Room of the Public Safety Building, 500 East Street, from 5:00 to 7:00 that evening and include a presentation on the proposal and opportunities for public feedback. All are welcome but downtown residents, commuters, and business owners are particularly encouraged to attend.
A collaboration between the Select Board, Planning Board, Town Manager, Department of Public Works, and Economic Development Department; these zoning proposals are being prepared to ease congestion while better enabling mixed use, multifamily development within walking distance of the MBTA Commuter Rail Station. They would also bring the Town’s zoning bylaw further in line with the Commonwealth’s newly published MBTA Community Guidelines, better ensuring the Town remains eligible for critical grant funding programs.
These proposals will build upon existing zoning that enables permitting and construction of multi-story, multi-family housing in that area. A proposed roadway west of the tracks and relocated rail crossing would service the new developments and connect Chauncy Street in the south to North Main Street and County Street in the north. The development would also include a multilevel parking garage immediately west of the rail line to service commuters and facilitate an elevated pedestrian bridge traversing the tracks.
Doors will open at 5:00, at which point participants can speak with Town staff regarding objectives for development around the Commuter Station and how best to achieve them. This will be followed at 6:00 with a presentation by BETA, Inc., a consulting firm hired by the Town to assist in crafting this shared vision. The meeting will close with a question and answer period, wherein BETA and Town staff will field inquiries from the audience. Input from this meeting will then be utilized to develop a final zoning proposal to be brought forward at a Special Town Meeting later this fall.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Economic Development Director Christopher McDermott at (508) 851-6410 or email him at .
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