Brockton Agrees to Add Up to 1,750 Units at Fairgrounds, What’s in Store Next for the Site?

Brockton is set to redevelop the former site of the Brockton Fairgrounds. On Monday, March 3, the Brockton City Council approved a zoning package that would permit up to 1,750 housing units "as of right," otherwise known as a streamlined approval process.

In a 9-1 vote, councilors approved the zoning, which has been the planning for a year. The vote faced tight time constraints for the project. If the City Council failed to approve the zoning package, the project's developers would have been required to redo a public hearing at the city's zoning board.

"I am thankful to the City Council for their efforts and support of the Overlay District at the Fairgrounds property," Mayor Robert F. Sullivan said in a statement made on Tuesday, March 4, to The Enterprise. "The proposed future development will greatly benefit our city and our community. It will provide exceptional housing opportunities and green space areas for our residents and future residents."

Ward 4 Councilor Susan Nicastro voted against the plan, claiming that residents in adjacent neighborhoods needed more time to ask questions about the changes to the fairgrounds property before the redevelopment proceeded.

Developer Andrew Flynn of Copper Mill said his firm would seek a "site plan review" for a preliminary residential phase by the middle of this year. In the next phase, the city will negotiate a development agreement with Flynn and the Carney family, owners of the fairgrounds property.

The Fairgrounds Overlay District, as it is described, carries the following zoning requirements plus changes that the City Council made during Monday's meeting: