Waltham Council Advances Three BXP Zoning Overlays, Passes $10.5M Police Station Loan

WALTHAM — May 11, 2026 — Waltham City Council opened joint public hearings on three proposed zoning overlays that would allow up to 2,000 new housing units on commercial land near Route 128. BXP Vice President Keir Evans presented updated plans for RCI-1, covering the Bay Colony and Waltham Woods properties on Winter Street, and RCI-2, near Jones Road and the Waltham-Weston border, with a development agreement capping the two districts combined at 1,500 units and a 20 percent affordability requirement matching current city standards. A third overlay, RCI-3, covers the former Polaroid site at 1265 Main Street with a 500-unit cap, represented by Attorney Phillip McCourt. All three matters were referred to the Ordinances and Rules Committee, which must incorporate a Community Scale Consulting report and Law Department guidance before any vote, with the next committee session set for May 18. The council separately passed a 13-0 roll-call vote on a second and final reading of a $10,536,466 loan authorization for design services for a new police station at 155 Lexington Street, and gave a first reading to an $8,640,291 loan for acquisition of 600 Main Street. Earlier, the council unanimously honored retiring Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter, who received the Key to the City from Mayor McCarthy and told councillors the company "plan[s] to stay" in Waltham, where it manufactures robots at multiple facilities.