Neighbors press for clarity on MCI Concord overlay petition; Select Board to develop memorandum of agreement

The Planning Board on April 24 postponed any final recommendation on a citizen petition (Article 46) that would create a continuing‑care retirement community overlay district for portions of the former MCI Concord property. Board members and residents said they need more detail and any memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the petitioner and the Select Board before taking a position to recommend to Town Meeting.

Why it matters: The petition would add an overlay district with distinct dimensional and use standards for roughly a 12‑acre assembly of parcels on the former MCI Concord site. Neighbors raised questions about heights, setbacks, density calculations, septic capacity and how any project‑specific commitments would be enforced. Because the petition is a citizens’ article, its motion and final text will be presented at Town Meeting; the Planning Board’s role is to hold a public hearing and offer a recommendation for town meeting voters.

Select Board process and MOA: Wendy Rovoli, the Select Board liaison, told the Planning Board that the Select Board voted to reserve its formal recommendation until Town Meeting and that the Select Board expected to meet with the petitioner on May 12 to seek a memorandum of agreement addressing concerns that are not normally embedded in zoning text. Planning staff explained that an MOA (or memorandum of understanding) between the petitioner and the Select Board can set project‑specific limits and be recorded so those obligations run with the land; the Planning Board said such an MOA would be a useful supplement for neighbors to review and for the board to consider before issuing its recommendation.

Public concerns and process notes: Residents asked how to weigh zoning questions versus project‑specific commitments and whether neighbors will have the opportunity to shape any MOA. Planning staff advised residents to attend the Select Board’s May 12 meeting and to submit written comments; staff said the petitioner has sometimes engaged directly with neighborhood concerns and that those conversations can feed the Select Board’s MOA drafting. Staff also reiterated legal constraints: zoning changes can only be made by Town Meeting, Title 5 septic and DEP permitting are governed by state law, and any MOA does not replace zoning but may add enforceable, recorded obligations between the town and the site owner.

Timeline: The Select Board’s meeting with the petitioner is scheduled for May 12 (agenda permitting); the Planning Board expects to have updated information after that meeting and will consider Article 46 again at a subsequent planning board session before taking any final recommendation to Town Meeting (June 2). The board encouraged neighbors to monitor Select Board and petitioner communications and to attend the May 12 meeting and the next Planning Board slot for updates.