SPECIAL TOWN MEETING PREVIEW: Fire Station/DPW project; Southfield zoning are marquee issues on warrant

Abington’s Special Town Meeting starts Saturday morning at 9 a.m., in the Middle/High School Auditorium. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

Special Town Meeting Preview w/Shawn Reilly, Scott Lambiase

ARTICLE 1: OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND

Abington, like every other town in the Commonwealth has started receiving payments as part of multiple settlements against opioid manufacturers and pharmacies for their role in the opioid epidemic. The town has already received over $100,000 of these payments and formed an Opioid Settlement Fund Allocation Committee to start figuring out how to spend it. This article creates a special stabilization fund that this money will be deposited in moving forward.

COST: n/a

FUNDING SOURCE: n/a

ARTICLE 2: NEW SOUTHFIELD ZONING PLAN

This article would rewrite the existing zoning bylaws governing development at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Base, now legally known as Southfield, and marketed as Union Point.The changes were requested by the air base’s new master developer, a joint venture between Brookfield Properties and New England Development, which says it needs a more flexible zoning structure to attract development. The existing rules did not allow for housing construction on Abington’s land and instead focused on commercial development. Nothing was ever built, however. The new zoning rules would create a Multi-Use Development District, which would allow by right a wide range of uses, including multi-unit housing, commercial development, and retail spaces. Permitting for all projects at Southfield would be handled by the Southfield Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors (Abington has one member on the board). About 180 acres of the former air base is technically in Abington. Under these zoning rules, about 80 acres would be up for development. The rest of the land would be covered under open space protections or within an Open Space Zoning District that’s restricted for recreational uses. Weymouth, Abington, and Rockland all have to agree on the zoning, per state law. Weymouth has already approved the new zoning rules; Rockland is scheduled to approve later this fall. If the town’s don’t agree to the new zoning, the master developer said it could walk away from the project. Project officials estimate the entire former air base could hold millions of square feet of commercial development and nearly 4,000 units of housing – with actual numbers to be determined by market conditions. Project documents say Abington would net between $4-5 million in new tax revenue, after covering the costs of providing municipal services such as police, fire, schools, public works, etc. However that figure is post-full buildout, which could take 20 years to finish.

COST: n/a

FUNDING SOURCE: n/a

Issue Background:

Official Southfield zoning presentation deck

Fiscal analysis prepared by Southfield

Southfield zoning presentation to Planning Board

Southfield zoning presentation to Board of Selectmen

Southfield zoning presentation to Finance Committee

ARTICLE 3: SOUTHFIELD ZONING MAP

This article asks voters to approve a new zoning map for Southfield (The previous article dealt with the wording of the new zoning). It consolidates multiple zoning districts layered over undeveloped land into one larger Multi-Use Development District.

COST: n/a

FUNDING SOURCE: n/a

ARTICLE 4: ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENT

This article updates the town’s existing zoning bylaws to specify that any Abington land within the boundaries of the former air base falls under the Southfield zoning rules.

COST: n/a

FUNDING SOURCE: n/a

ARTICLE 5: FIRE STATION/DPW COMPLEX

This article asks voters for permission to build a $38.5 million joint complex for the fire department and public works department. It would consolidate the town’s two existing, aging, undersized fire stations into one central station on Central Street next to the police station. Out back would be a new public works yard, replacing the department’s existing, aging, undersized buildings. The fire department has spotlighted deficiencies in its stations for years and a committee has worked on coming up with a solution since 2019. The original proposal was a larger $58.3 million project, but it was scaled back by town officials over concerns it was too expensive. The current proposal would increase property taxes on the average $500,000 home by $310 until the 30-year bond is paid off. If Town Meeting approves the project, a special Town Election will be held next Saturday, Oct. 21, to approve a debt exclusion override to pay for it.