Planning board approves site-plan review amendments, forwards changes to Select Board and Town Council

The Town of Middleborough Planning Board on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve amendments to the administrative regulations governing site-plan review and to forward the changes to the Select Board and Town Council for legal review and possible inclusion on the annual town meeting warrant.

Board members discussed wording changes, waiver language, and submittal requirements. The board agreed to require two full-size plan sets and one 11x17 copy rather than six half-size copies; clarified that the planning board may waive individual submission requirements at its discretion; and asked counsel to review potentially redundant or unclear sentences.

Board members and staff reviewed language to ensure the submission requirements matched ADU regulations and to remove redundant phrasing while preserving the board’s ability to waive requirements on a case-by-case basis. The board also directed staff to send the amendment to the Select Board for early feedback so both boards can resolve issues before the town meeting warrant is finalized.

Why it matters: The site-plan review regulations govern how applicants submit plans and what materials the department requires. Streamlining submission requirements is expected to reduce administrative burden while preserving the board’s authority to require full material as needed.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the revised text, request counsel to check any redundant clauses, post the final six-page draft, and forward it to the Select Board and Town Council for legal review and potential placement on the spring warrant.