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Select Board approves letter supporting Article 1 zoning amendment ahead of special town meeting
Summary
The Select Board approved a letter of support for Article 1, a zoning amendment to expand uses in the IP zone; the board will publish the letter on local channels and distribute printed copies before the special town meeting.
The Southborough Select Board voted to send a letter in support of Article 1, a proposed zoning amendment that would expand allowable uses in the town’s IP (Industrial/Professional) zone, and directed staff to publish the letter on local social channels ahead of a special town meeting.
The board said the letter is intended to frame the zoning change as a first, policy-level step that could rebalance the town’s commercial and residential tax mix and open sites on Route 9 to new commercial uses. "Let's not blow it. This opens up a whole bunch of doors," said Andrew Pfaff, Select Board member, arguing the change could help fund roads, schools and public safety.
Board members and staff clarified that the Article 1 vote is not an approval of any specific developer’s project. "It's not a a vote to, approve the Costco project, but to approve the zoning for stores like Costco," the board stated during discussion, noting that subsequent special permit or site-review processes would address parking, stormwater and other project-specific concerns.
The board discussed outreach and distribution. Beth Mello was named as the person who would post the letter on town channels; Andrew Pfaff and Kathy, Select Board member, said they would place the letter on Southborough Care and Share and the My Southborough blog and arrange Facebook distribution. The board also approved printing 50 copies to hand out at a local event; a member said they would hand out copies at the Dolomans Club at 10:00 a.m.
The board made small edits on the record to address comments from Tim Flynn and Marguerite, and confirmed language drafted to avoid implying endorsement of a specific project. A roll-call vote approved the motion to send the letter; staff were directed to place the letter on town letterhead and post it online.
Distinguishing discussion from decision: the board debated messaging and distribution but voted formally to send the letter on town letterhead and to publish it on local platforms. The board recorded the vote and instructed staff to make agreed edits and to circulate the finalized version.
Next steps: staff will finalize the edited letter on town letterhead, post it to local online channels this weekend and print copies for in-person distribution before the special town meeting.
