Weymouth Council Votes 11-0 to Extend Village Overlay District Over Mayor's Objection

WEYMOUTH — December 4, 2023 — Weymouth Town Council unanimously approved a controversial zoning extension over the mayor's written objection Monday. The council voted 11-0 on Measure 23-125, extending the Village Center Overlay District to three parcels at 95 Broad Street and 230 and 238 Washington Street, despite a 5-0 unfavorable recommendation from the Planning Board and a formal letter from Mayor Robert Hedlund urging rejection. Planning Director Robert Luongo had argued the change amounted to spot zoning and contradicted a 2021 decision to scale back the Commercial Corridor Overlay District. The Ordinance Committee countered that the property — long described as an eyesore — represented "exactly the kind of responsible redevelopment project that the Town should consider a priority." The new VCOD designation allows development up to four stories with no floor-area ratio cap and no required setbacks, and carries no commercial-component requirement, meaning a future developer could build a 100 percent residential project on the site.