"In the Boston suburb of Lexington, a surge in new housing development is challenging long-held assumptions about green building and multifamily housing policies - and proving that strict energy standards don't have to stand in the way of growth or affordability. Over the past two years, Lexington has permitted more than 1,100 new housing units - including 160 affordable units - even as the town has gone above and beyond to implement several environmental building policies, according to Canary Media."
"Far from slowing development, local leaders told the nonprofit newsroom that the combination of forward-thinking zoning reforms and fossil fuel restrictions has actually helped accelerate it. "Opponents said, 'It's going to cost so much, you're going to stop the development of affordable housing.' But that clearly wasn't the case," Mark Sandeen, a member of the town select board and the Lexington Affordable Housing Trust told Canary Media."
Lexington permitted more than 1,100 new housing units in two years, including 160 affordable units, while adopting strict environmental building policies that ban fossil fuel use in new construction and require high energy-efficiency standards. The town adopted multifamily zoning reforms in 2023 under the MBTA Communities law and joined the Municipal Fossil Fuel Free Building Demonstration Program. The state pilot launched in 2022 allows municipalities to require new construction and major renovations be fossil fuel-free. Lexington's bylaw took effect in March 2024, with minor amendments implemented in early 2025. Local leaders report that these combined measures have helped accelerate development despite cost concerns.
Read at Boston.com
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