According to the Patriot Ledger, voters at a town meeting in Marshfield, Massachusetts (pop. 25,905), rejected a proposed plan that would pave the way for transit-oriented development. The proposal to rezone 84 acres to allow multifamily housing would have brought the town into compliance with the statewide MBTA Communities Act, which requires “177 towns and cities across Massachusetts designate at least one zoning district within a half mile of public transportation that allows for multifamily housing by right,” reports Hannah Morse.

Marshfield residents’ rejection of the state mandated zoning change comes two months after voters in Milton, Mass. (pop.  27.003) revoked their previously approved zoning changes, which prompted the state to sue the town and cancel a $144,800 grant for a local seawall.

Marshfield has until December 31, 2024 to submit plans to the state that zone for a minimum 1,185 units, or 10 percent of its housing stock (Milton’s deadline was the end of last year), but Morse reports that Marshfield Town Counsel Bob Galvin told residents in advance of the vote that he believes the state will sue immediately and that their case could be combined with Milton’s.

“If you’re expecting them to rule that this state law is illegal, I think, being candid with all of you, we’re likely to be unsuccessful,” Galvin told town meeting attendees. 

BASEBALL

Austin Prep 14, Hamden Hall 5

BC High 15, Falmouth 7

Carver 4, Nantucket 1 (Game 1)

Carver 7, Nantucket 4 (Game 2)

Cathedral 22, New Mission 21

Greater Lawrence 10, Northeast 4

Hamilton-Wenham 8, Amesbury 3

Lowell Catholic 6, Dover-Sherborn 5

Manchester Essex 12, Rockport 7

Minuteman 11, Muniz 1

Monomoy 11, Nantucket 0

Newburyport 9, Essex Tech 6

Norwell 6, Plymouth South 4

Rockland 11, Hull 9

St. Mark’s 3, Belmont Hill 0

Scituate 9, Silver Lake 4

Tabor 9, BB&N 8 (9i)

Tewksbury 9, Winchester 1

Triton 2, Pentucket 0

Westford Academy 20, Billerica 2

BOYS LACROSSE

Brookline 10, Cambridge 9 (2ot)

Concord-Carlisle 6, Newburyport 5

Dracut 4, Grafton 2

Hingham 8, Pinkerton Academy 4

Lincoln-Sudbury 13, Marshfield 6

Malden 10, Lowell 2

Manchester-Essex 11, Triton 9

Natick 12, Wayland 8

Nantucket 14, Bishop Stang 1

Needham 16, Bridgewater-Raynham 4

Norwell 20, Hull 1

Portsmouth Abbey 18, Berwick 3

Quincy/North Quincy 21, Somerville 6

Scituate 9, Nauset 5

St. John’s Prep 14 Billerica 8

St. John’s Shrewsbury 15, Shrewsbury 2

Weston 14, Masconomet 9

Whitman-Hanson 9, Barnstable 6

GIRLS LACROSSE

Bedford 15, North Reading 1

Beverly 17, Bishop Fenwick 3

Central Catholic 14, Wellesley 12

Greater Lowell 11, Monty Tech 4

Lowell 14, Malden 8

Nantucket 17, Dennis-Yarmouth 3

Nauset 8, Martha’s Vineyard 4

Noble & Greenough 17, St. Mark’s 5

North Quincy 12, Sharon 8

Westford Academy 13, Andover 12 (ot)

SOFTBALL

Atlantis Charter 20, Nantucket 8

Central Catholic 3, Amesbury 0

English 24, Mashpee 13

Lexington 11, Andover 10

Middleboro 5, Greater New Bedford Voke 2

Milton Academy 9, Lawrence Academy 0

Newton North 7, Wakefield 6

Norwell 10, Cohasset 9

O’Bryant 19, English 3

O’Bryant 13, Martha’s Vineyard 7

BOYS TENNIS

Andover 5, North Andover 0

Lowell Catholic 3, Tyngsboro 2

Martha’s Vineyard 4, Nantucket 0

GIRLS TENNIS

Masconomet 3, Marblehead 2

Nantucket 4, Martha’s Vineyard 1

Thayer 9, Tabor 0