Planning board recommends against petition to rezone sections of Bayshill Road; residents and business owners disagree

The Planning Board opened a petitioned zoning amendment public hearing concerning rezoning multiple parcels on Bayshill Road from business/commercial districts to residential. Because the proposal reached the required number of petition signatures, the public hearing was required and the item will appear on the warrant regardless of the board’s recommendation.

Board staff explained the petition relocates a number of lots into the Residence District while leaving specific identified parcels in the business or agricultural districts; the drafting lists map and lot numbers and several carve‑outs to retain existing business zoning for particular lots. The board earlier had voted by consensus not to support the petition at a November meeting because of spot‑zoning concerns.

Public comment at the hearing was mixed. Several long‑time residents and homeowners said the road is a low‑density, rural road that cannot safely absorb additional commercial activity and that rezoning to preserve residential character was appropriate. Other speakers representing businesses on the road (including BDM Sweeper and other operators with longstanding uses) said their operations predate recent residential purchases and that they rely on the zoning to retain access for vehicles and equipment. Several business owners emphasized that existing businesses are known to the town and that established business uses are not being removed by the petition’s carve‑outs in every case.

Why it matters: petitioners said the current mix of uses has left parcels effectively mismatched to neighborhood character; opponents and the Planning Board raised the risk of spot zoning and the potential of creating nonconforming uses that could limit lawful future changes for property owners. The Planning Board noted that some residential properties in the business district are already treated as permitted uses under the code and that rezoning will shift the regulatory approach for adjacent parcels.

Planning Board action: after public comment the board took a motion not to recommend the petitioned rezoning for placement on the warrant. The motion to not recommend passed by roll call and the board recorded its recommendation in the minutes. Because the item is a citizen petition it will appear on the warrant for voter consideration regardless of the board’s recommendation.

Ending: The board closed the public hearing after hearing residents and business representatives. The petition will be placed on the warrant and voters will decide whether to adopt the rezoning; the board encouraged continued dialogue between residents, business owners and planning staff on any future, site‑specific proposals.