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Selectboard opens discussion on renaming California Street, plans joint meeting with planning and zoning committees
Summary
The board discussed a possible future agenda item to rename California Street to Main Street to reduce confusion, and agreed to plan a joint meeting with the planning board, zoning board, conservation committee and selectmen to discuss zoning, the master plan and impact fees.
The Board of Selectmen discussed a proposed street-name change and broader coordination with town planning committees and agreed to schedule follow-up work, including a joint meeting of multiple boards.
Selectmen raised a potential proposal to rename the section of California Street on the east side of Route 10 so that Main Street would continue through and reduce confusion where Main Street currently ends at the park. The chair said the proposal would require following an established public process, including consultation with the U.S. Postal Service and a public hearing; the board did not make a decision and only opened the topic for future consideration.
Board members noted the town conducted an earlier multi-year process that renamed several streets roughly four to five years ago, and said they did not want to “open Pandora’s box” without following the correct review steps. A selectman suggested placing the item on a future agenda and said staff would work through the moving parts necessary for formal consideration.
The board also discussed holding a joint meeting with the planning board, zoning board, the conservation committee and the board of selectmen to share perspectives on development and the town’s master plan. The selectmen agreed the discussion should take place after the new town administrator is in place and recommended scheduling it for June to allow time for planning. The joint meeting is intended to communicate the selectmen’s perspective on development, clarify the master plan’s direction, and give each committee an opportunity to provide input on zoning changes, conditional-use permitting, impact fees and related topics.
Selectmen and committee members discussed larger policy issues that may emerge in upcoming months, including impact fees and a state-level lot-line law that one participant said was awaiting the governor’s signature. Speakers emphasized the need to balance property-owner rights, wetlands protection and townwide development goals when considering zoning or name-change proposals.
Ending: The board agreed to add the California/Main Street name-change discussion to a future agenda and to plan a joint meeting with planning-related boards in June to discuss zoning, the master plan, and impact-fee considerations.
