The City will host community meetings on the topic on Thursday, October 8, 6–8 p.m., at GreenRoots, and Tuesday, October 20, 6–8 p.m., at the Chelsea Senior Center, and is collecting questions for a “Frequently Asked Questions” webpage.
As part of ongoing efforts to produce more housing and lower the cost of living for everyone, the City of Chelsea is considering a zoning proposal that would eliminate mandatory parking minimums for new developments. The initiative aims to make it easier and more affordable to build new homes in Chelsea, a key recommendation from the City’s new master plan, ¡Chelsea Pa’Lante, Onward!
“As we were developing our comprehensive plan, we found ourselves having to choose between parking and housing. With input from our community members, we realized that Chelsea needs, and our residents want, more homes and fewer empty parking spaces at our new developments,” said City Manager Fidel Maltez. “By eliminating our parking minimums, we would free up space for more housing units, open space, and other community-desired uses, which are essential to making sure Chelsea is a vibrant and affordable place to live.”
Chelsea’s Current Parking Minimums Requirement:
Chelsea currently enforces strict parking minimums rules that force builders to create a set number of parking spaces whenever they construct new housing:
For larger residential buildings (buildings with 3 or more units), developers must build at least 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
For every unit in a building of this size with more than 2 bedrooms, the builder must add an extra .5 parking space for each additional bedroom.
For smaller projects, like a single-family house or a two-family duplex, builders are required to provide exactly 2 parking spaces per home.
Eliminating parking minimums will not reduce current parking availability or prevent developers from including parking garages or spaces in their upcoming designs. Instead, it allows the market to dictate the appropriate amount of parking needed based on the location.
The specific areas in Chelsea that have been identified as spaces for future housing growth sit directly along the MBTA’s Silver Line and major bus corridors, making them ideal locations for residents who rely on public transit, walking, or biking to work and school.
This proposal follows previous community workshops, surveys, and master planning engagement sessions where hundreds of local residents expressed a strong desire to see more diverse housing options, particularly affordable units. By modernizing these outdated zoning restrictions, Chelsea looks to join neighboring communities like Boston, Cambridge, Salem, and Somerville, which previously eliminated or significantly reduced parking minimum requirements to help alleviate regional housing shortages.
Implementing the change will require a formal permitting and land-use zoning amendment through the Planning Board and City Council. To ensure all voices are heard, the City of Chelsea invites community members to attend a series of upcoming public meetings to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback on the initiative.
“Research from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) highlights that eliminating parking minimums reduces the overall cost of producing housing,” said Ben Cares, Director of Chelsea’s Housing & Community Development Department. “Not only would this policy make housing easier and more affordable to build, it would also reduce the cost of housing in Chelsea, encourage sustainable transportation choices, help alleviate traffic congestion, and reduce pollution in our city.”
Upcoming Public Community Meetings:
Eliminating Parking Minimums Community Meeting: Thursday, October 8, 6–8 p.m. | GreenRoots, Suite 10 (3rd floor), 90 Everett Ave
Eliminating Parking Minimums Community Meeting: Tuesday, October 20, 6–8 p.m. | Chelsea Senior Center, 10 Riley Way
Food and live interpretation services will be provided at both events. An initial public meeting took place on September 30 at La Colaborativa.
Submit Your Questions:
The City Manager’s Office is currently collecting community questions about this initiative; questions will be used to create a Frequently Asked Questions webpage. Questions can be sent to the City Manager’s office at [email protected] or by calling 617-466-4209.