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An apartment building under construction in Everett in 2023.Jonathan Wiggs\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s our job to make sure government moves at the speed of business, and cutting these regulations will reduce review times from more than a year to 30 days and supercharge the building of homes across Massachusetts,\u201d Healey said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The reforms aim to strike a delicate balance: speed up environmental reviews while still ensuring that new housing developments meet the state\u2019s climate and environmental standards. <\/p>\n
Under the changes, projects that meet certain thresholds of density, energy efficiency, and other criteria will be allowed to pass environmental review by completing a basic Environmental Notification Form, instead of the more drawn-out Environmental Impact Report. <\/p>\n
That can cut review times from one year or more down to a month, the Healey administration said. The administration estimated that some 70 percent of new housing projects that are subject to environmental review will fall under the shorter review process or be exempt from the process altogether.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese changes will move critical housing projects from plans to reality much faster and will actually help us ensure that we\u2019re incentivizing the kinds of housing we need the most \u2013 dense, energy-efficient, and resilient buildings \u2013 while upholding our high environmental standards,\u201d said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. <\/p>\n
An apartment building under construction in Everett in 2023.Jonathan Wiggs\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n
The new regulations will also simplify the review process for certain ecological restoration projects like cranberry bog restoration and partial dam removals, a tweak that pleased environmental advocates. <\/p>\n
The regulations will be subject to a public comment period before being finalized. <\/p>\n
Healey\u2019s move follows similar efforts in other states to speed up environmental review, which has sometimes been used to stop new housing developments. <\/p>\n
In California, for example, the state Legislature this year made key changes to the state\u2019s powerful California Environmental Quality Act, which housing advocates there have long said is used to stymie new housing development. Under the new rules, groups will no longer be allowed to sue on environmental grounds to stop projects in most instances. <\/p>\n
Still, the politics of such changes can be tricky. Environmental concerns are frequently cited by opponents of housing projects, and environmental advocates covet the state\u2019s rigorous review process. <\/p>\n
At an annual sustainability day at the State House, where dozens of environmental advocates and stakeholders gathered Tuesday, opinions on the changes were mixed.<\/p>\n
Maiyim Baron, who serves on the leadership team for Elders Climate Action, said she hopes the new regulations don\u2019t backtrack on progress made on climate and energy rules, including building housing with healthier systems, like solar arrays and electric stoves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems to me we can do both,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rishi Reddi, a policy advocate for Boston-based sustainability nonprofit Ceres, said while she understands the importance of building more housing, she is concerned about the impact on vulnerable communities that have historically seen environmentally-harmful development, such as Chelsea, Somerville, and East Boston.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the safeguards address concerns linked to public health,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a balancing act. I don\u2019t want us to give up all the environmental protections we have, even though we need more housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
But housing advocates say unfounded environmental concerns have too frequently been used to defeat much-needed housing projects that have negligible environmental impacts. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe need a way to find ways to streamline permitting processes to boost housing production, while continuing to minimize environmental impacts,\u201c said Rafael Mares, executive director of Chelsea-based community development corporation The Neighborhood Developers. \u201cThis is a step in that direction.\u201d <\/p>\n
Samantha Gross of the Globe Staff contributed reporting.<\/p>\n
Andrew Brinker can be reached at andrew.brinker@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @andrewnbrinker<\/a>.<\/p>\n