Is Your Neighborhood Next?
Become familiar with the rezoning initiatives in our Town.
All neighborhoods in Wellesley should question if rezoning residential neighborhoods is a new or thoughtful planning policy in any district. The three prominent neighborhood rezoning efforts are listed below. All these proposals would reshape their current neighborhoods.
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8 Cliff Road/
Renamed 489 Worcester
This project in its original proposed plan has been removed from the Town website due to the Select Board’s denying this project going forward as originally proposed.
On August 26th the developers presented their ANR plot plans, which divided the existing 489 Worcester Street property into 2 separate buildable lots.
The town has approved and permitted three single-family homes to be built at 489 Cliff Road, and construction is currently underway.
The historic home at 4 Cliff Road — the former residence of renowned Tiffany silversmith George Gebelein — is not being demolished. It is being carefully renovated and restored, preserving both its architectural character and the single-family nature and feel of the Cliff Road neighborhood.
Attached is a link to the plot plans, which have been approved for 489 Worcester Street. Link
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Residential Incentive Overlay (RIO)
Adopted in 1998, the Residential Incentive Overlay (RIO) allows higher-density, mixed-income housing (24–31 units per acre) on parcels of at least one acre, subject to Town Meeting approval. A RIO is an overlay district that provides an alternative to underlying zoning and remains with the property once approved.
2019 Updates
Town Meeting:
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Expanded eligibility to all zoning districts, including Single-Residence zones
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Reduced the minimum parcel size from two acres to one acre
Density limits remained unchanged. The town also adopted Inclusionary Zoning requiring 20% affordable units in developments of five or more units, bringing Wellesley above the state’s 10% affordable housing threshold.
RIO Developments
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The Waterstone (2012) – 138 units
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Terrazza (2019) – 35 units
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The Bristol (2019) – 24 units
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The Bellwether (2024) – 34 units (permitting)
Current Review
In 2025, the Planning Board formed a 16-member RIO Task Force to review the bylaw and recommend potential updates for consideration at Annual Town Meeting 2026.
For more information, visit the RIO Task Force webpage. (https://wellesleyma.gov/2462/RIO-Task-Force)
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Mass Bay Forest
Friends of Brookside remains committed to protecting the 40-acre MassBay Forest at 40 Oakland Street. This publicly used forest provides recreation, environmental benefits, and vital open space. Once developed, a mature forest of this scale cannot be replaced.
Key legal questions remain unresolved, including whether the land qualifies for Article 97 protection and whether it can properly be declared “surplus.” These issues must be addressed before any proposal moves forward The Wellesley Select Board submitted over three dozen questions.
The forest abuts Centennial Reservation, forming 80 acres of contiguous conservation land and trails used daily by residents. Identified by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as prime forest, the area supports carbon storage, wildlife habitat, stormwater management, and natural water filtration. It is also located within a Water Supply Protection District near six of Wellesley’s ten drinking water wells.
More than 3,300 residents have signed a petition urging the State to remove the forest from the surplus list. Friends of Brookside continues to advocate for permanent protection.
Learn more at SaveMassBayForest.org.
Special Notice Area