The Town of Holden remains one of 11 municipalities that did not meet the July 14, 2025, deadline to adopt zoning that would put it in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act (MBTACA).

The state has made it clear that non-compliant towns could face fines, lose access to state funding, lose the ability to have oversight of the multi-family zoning bylaw, and lose the ability to choose which parcel of land would be designated for the zoning changes. So when an application submitted by Wachusett Regional High school was denied funding for the state’s Credit for Life program, State Senator Peter Durant called foul.

According to Section 3A of the MBTACA, Holden is required to designate at least one “multi-family zoning district of reasonable size” to permit housing at a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre. This would allow for housing that has no age restrictions and is suitable for families with children. But at the town’s May 19, 2025, Annual Town Meeting, residents rejected Article 37 which would have established an “MBTACA Multi-family Overlay District” and ensured that Holden was in compliance with the law.

Holden’s Town Manager Peter Lukes had urged voters to pass the May Town Meeting article, emphasizing that tens of thousands of dollars had already been spent on consultants and planning efforts. At the time, he warned that failure to do so by the July deadline would put Holden in noncompliance.

Recently, Wachusett Regional High School’s request for $3,200 in state funds for the Credit for Life program was denied.

In a press release shared on State Senator Peter Durant’s Facebook post, he slammed the decision as an unfair use of state power. “Using a regional high school as leverage in a disagreement with one of the towns in the district is the wrong approach and an overreach of state authority,” he said. “Punishing them … is not only unfair, it sets a troubling precedent of tying educational funding to unrelated grant funds.”

When the Healey administration was contacted for this story, the state Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation issued this statemen: “Wachusett Regional High School and South Shore Vocational Technical were mistakenly informed that they were not eligible for Credit for Life grant awards. This error has been corrected, and the schools are now eligible. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

Holden officials indicate they have not abandoned the effort to become compliant. The town has put together a working group tasked with drafting zoning proposals and gathering public input about the MBTACA. A Zoom meeting discussing the working group’s progress was scheduled for December 4, when WFP was going to press. W