Hopkinton council schedules public hearing Aug. 4 on zoning amendment aimed at neighborhood gasoline service stations

The Hopkinton Town Council voted to set a public hearing for Aug. 4 on a proposed amendment to the Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Zoning), concerning neighborhood gasoline service stations.

Councilors said the change originated in a planning-board draft and must be advertised in the newspaper for at least three weeks before the hearing. The councilor who sponsored the amendment said the planning board had produced the draft and that advertising would begin immediately so a hearing could be held on Aug. 4.

Public comment: Steve Moffitt of Diamond Hill Road opposed the timing and scope of the ordinance as drafted. Moffitt said the measure appears to be targeted at a single, small property and that the proposed 150-foot frontage requirement was inconsistent with the town’s usual 225-foot frontage standard for new building lots. He said the site in question sits on a busy stretch of Route 3 and expressed concern about increased traffic.

Council response and next steps: Councilors noted that a public hearing will give the applicant and members of the public an opportunity to comment and for planning staff to respond to concerns. One councilor suggested that, should new stations be approved in the future, the council consider requiring electric vehicle charging capacity alongside gasoline pumps; the suggestion was discussed as a potential planning consideration rather than an immediate requirement.

The motion to set the hearing passed unanimously by roll call.

Why it matters: The proposed zoning amendment would provide a regulatory framework for neighborhood gasoline service stations; residents near the site voiced concerns about frontage requirements, traffic and the ordinance appearing to single out one property. Planning staff and the applicant will present at the advertised public hearing on Aug. 4, when the council will accept public testimony and consider next steps.