Limited housing supply has been a cause of concern for two-thirds of Lynnfield 2040 survey respondents who moved to the town in the last three years, according to the Lynnfield Community Vision Draft Plan put together by the Planning Board. 

The draft plan said that for 40% of survey respondents, high housing costs and property taxes are a reason for their fear of housing instability. Seniors and longtime residents highlighted issues like limited downsizing options and the inability of their children to afford the town’s housing and living costs.

“I bought my home 30 years ago and cannot afford to move within the town,” one respondent to the survey wrote.

The survey revealed a number of other priorities and concerns for the town’s residents.

According to the draft plan, many current residents chose to live in Lynnfield because of its “quiet, small-town character.” These residents expressed apprehension that any new developments might adversely affect the town by leading to heightened demands on municipal services, such as the school district and water supply, and potentially degrading the town’s natural surroundings.

“I would like to see the town retain its character,” one respondent wrote. “Neighboring towns such as Middleton have become so overcrowded and congested with traffic that I breathe a sigh of relief when I get back home after driving through them.” 

Another respondent said that Lynnfield should keep a small-town feel “with lots of green space and accessible natural areas.” A different resident replying to the survey said that the town should prevent developers from buying properties, tearing the houses there down, and “building very expensive homes.”

Lynnfield High School students said in the survey that the town’s increasing housing costs are an area of concern for them and young people who want to live in Lynnfield. 

“(I’m leaving Lynnfield) because I still live with my parents and want to move out on my own now that I’ve graduated college,” one respondent wrote. “There is nothing at all within the budget of either my current job or my immediate job prospects.” 

According to the draft plan, the Planning Board will tackle these issues by expanding “the local housing supply to support residents’ needs at all phases of life. This could include allowing accessory dwelling units by-right, smaller housing options like duplexes or triplexes in some parts of Lynnfield; or incentivizing ‘starter home’ housing types.”

The Planning Board will also “pursue economic development initiatives to attract new commercial uses that diversify the local tax base without changing the residential character of the town. Initiatives can be tailored to attract locally owned businesses and well-paying jobs that align with local housing costs.”