Almost all of Dover, Massachusetts, is zoned for large-lot single-family home development, which makes it difficult to provide a wider variety of housing. Accordingly, the Dover Select Board formed a Housing Task Force in 2023 to identify a set of tools that can meet housing needs in harmony with other community goals, such as open space conservation. With support from Barrett Planning Group and Dodson & Flinker, the Housing Task Force aims to develop a Housing Roadmap this year to guide Dover’s long-term housing future.
Bounded by the Charles River to the north and west, Dover has abundant woodlands, wetlands, ponds, and open spaces. Though it is a suburb of Boston, Dover retains some of its historic agricultural heritage. Dover residents prize these natural features, yet the same qualities also make it challenging to provide a wider variety of housing. The town has a significant amount of protected land, and many areas require discretionary special permits. Another challenge is that Dover lacks comprehensive public drinking water and wastewater systems.
Interspersed between Dover’s natural amenities, detached, single-family homes – typically on large lots – characterize Dover’s overall housing stock. Over the past few decades, housing construction has been minimal as home prices have increased. The average sales price for a single-family home exceeded $1,600,000 in 2025. During the community engagement process for efforts to comply with two new state laws, Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and MBTA Communities Law, participants noted the challenges for Dover’s older residents to stay in town because they have no options to downsize. Moreover, younger families and local workers cannot find affordably priced homes.
The Task Force wants to find opportunities for thoughtful housing planning and development. The first Housing Roadmap forum in March 2026 introduced the project to the public and provided background information for future housing discussions. Barrett Planning Group presented a demographic and housing market overview and explained the town’s regulatory framework, and invited community members to explore questions about housing types that are missing and desired in Dover; the characteristics of Dover that should be preserved; and inspiration Dover could draw from in other nearby towns. Community members shared their interest in different housing types, their concern for the environmental impact of housing, and the obstacles posed by Dover’s current infrastructure.
Barrett Planning Group and the Task Force will continue to engage the community and support the Task Force in identifying opportunities to address its housing choice goals. Two more community events will take place soon, including Dodson & Flinker’s support for visualizing moderate-density development to accommodate more housing types.
For more information on this project and updates, please visit: https://bpg.mysocialpinpoint.com/dover-housing-roadmap.
