Glossary

Impact Fees
Impact fees are implemented by the local government and are placed on the construction of new buildings within the community. The fees typically help pay for government services, such as fire, police, schools, and sidewalks, and alleviate pressure on the current sewer and water supplies. The fee may also be deemed necessary because of the environmental impact that the new construction may cause, such as additional runoff and destruction of trees. Impact fees can only be implemented if they are related to the impact caused by new development.

Suggested Reasonable and Justifiable Fee: 0.5-1.0 % of development costs

Why it’s important: To make growth pay for growth

Linkage Fee
Linkage fees are placed on local businesses by the town’s government to offset the impact businesses have on the housing available in the community. The government uses the fee to support affordable housing development and create a better ‘job to house’ ratio in order to decrease traffic congestion and smog.

Reasonable and Justifiable Fee: 0.5-1.0 % of development costs
Why it’s important: To ensure appropriate housing for employees to live locally, or to provide balance to development costs to municipalities.

Affordable Housing
Under 40B, affordable housing is defined as units which can be afforded by households making 70% of the local median income, have been subsidized by certain state or federal housing subsidy programs, and have long-term deed restrictions.

Chapter 40B
Passed in 1969, MGL Chapter 40B is a Massachusetts state statute which allows developers who include a certain percentage of affordable housing (25% for owner-occupied units) to be exempt from local zoning guidelines and to appeal local zoning board denials or restrictions to the state Housing Appeals Committee (HAC). Under 40B, affordable housing is defined as units which can be afforded by households making 70% of the local median income, have been subsidized by certain state or federal housing subsidy programs, and have long-term deed restrictions. Developers have successfully used Chapter 40B proposals to build over 700 developments across the state that are at variance with local zoning rules for density, conservation restrictions, and type of housing.

Sewer Hookup Restrictions
The citizens of Chelmsford have been paying taxes on the sewer system since the late eighties. However, approximately 10% of residents continue to pay the taxes, but have yet to be hooked up. Since Chelmsford is nearing its sewer capacity, new restrictions should forbid developments to be hooked up until current taxpayers are provided with sewer capabilities, or new development tie-ins should pay for the costs associated with purchasing excess sewer capacity.

Reasonable Unit Density
Developments should only build up to 1.5 times the standard zoning requirement. This will help produce a more spacious site.