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Planning board forwards draft zoning amendments to Town Council to restore special‑use review for several commercial uses
Summary
The board voted to forward proposed changes to Sections 4.3 and 4.4 of the zoning ordinance to the Town Council; consultant Ashley Sweet presented draft objective criteria to permit the board to reintroduce special‑use review for several uses that had become effectively permitted after recent state law changes.
At the March 20 meeting the Planning Board reviewed proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance (Article 4.3 table of uses and 4.4 supplementary use regulations) intended to reintroduce special‑use review for categories that no longer had objective criteria following a state law change. Consultant Ashley Sweet presented draft objective criteria and asked the board which items required local numeric or measurable limits.
Board discussion and decisions Board members discussed two policy approaches: (1) restore special‑use permits with specific, objective criteria so the planning board retains discretion when criteria are not met, or (2) convert the uses to permitted uses and manage them by performance standards. Several members favored reinstating special‑use review for the listed categories so projects that do not meet objective criteria come before the board.
Specific items and numeric guidance The board and consultant discussed recommended numeric limits in the draft for certain uses. The group agreed on a 5,000 square‑foot cap (approx.) as a reasonable upper threshold for a greenhouse structure where the draft had left a blank. For light‑industrial/manufacturing uses the board discussed and settled on limiting any single building footprint to 10,000 square feet (the draft records aggregate and per‑building options; the board chose the per‑building limit to avoid multi‑story circumventions).
Public comment and procedural items Town Councilor Michael Iannotti urged the board to make the planning docket and applicant materials more accessible online and suggested improving microphones so remote viewers can hear solicitor and planner remarks. The board voted to recommend the amended supplemental use regulations to the Town Council; the motion carried and staff will forward the draft and an advisory opinion on consistency with the comprehensive plan to the council for consideration.
What happens next The Planning Board’s vote forwards the proposed 4.4 language (with the objective criteria and the numeric limits discussed) to the Town Council for amendment of the zoning ordinance. If the council adopts changes, the affected uses will return to special‑use review with objective standards, and applicants that do not meet the standards would need a special‑use approval rather than a by‑right permit.
