Charlton planning board closes public hearing and votes to advance broad zoning bylaw and map amendments

The Town of Charlton Planning Board closed a public hearing on proposed zoning bylaw and map amendments on May 7, 2025, and voted to accept the package as edited during the hearing.

Board members and staff spent the hearing reviewing a multi-part set of changes to section 200 of the Charlton zoning bylaw, including a new definition and rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), relocation of footnote language into the main text, changes to the permitted uses table across multiple districts, village-district design standards (including sidewalk and storefront transparency rules) and a map amendment to extend the community-business (CB) zone along Worcester Road.

The amendments add a new ADU definition and a new section (200-5-xx) that sets parameters for ADUs: they must be on the same lot as the principal dwelling; attached ADUs are limited to 1,250 square feet gross floor area while detached ADUs are limited to 900 square feet or half the principal dwelling’s living area, whichever is less; an ADU may not be sold separately; and ADUs may not be used for short-term rentals as defined in MGL c.64G. During public comment, a local resident, Pablo Massey of SunSafe Drive, asked whether the bylaw’s gross-floor-area language counts finished basement or attic space toward the ADU size limit; Massey said, “So you’re actually gonna count for instance, the seller's square footage ... as square footage?” The board and staff explained the ADU language is derived from state statute and the affordable housing regulations and that other dimensional and building-code requirements also apply.

Board members emphasized several practical edits during the hearing. The village-district changes require sidewalk construction—where no sidewalk exists—within the municipal right of way unless a waiver is granted, with a payment-in-lieu option to a town sidewalk fund where construction is not feasible. The village storefront standard requiring 50% transparent ground-floor wall area was clarified to exempt single-family and two-family residential buildings. The board also shifted a number of residential uses in the town’s use-regulation table from blanket permissibility to planning-board review or special permit in selected districts (for example, limiting multifamily and major residential development in business-enterprise-park zones).

Why it matters: the package is a comprehensive modernization of Charlton’s zoning text and map intended to align local regulations with recent state housing law, to clarify previously buried footnotes and to provide measurable criteria the planning board can use in discretionary approvals.

What the board did: at the meeting’s end the board took the following steps: it closed the public hearing, voted to accept the zoning bylaw and map amendments as edited during the hearing, and recorded minutes for the April 16 meeting. All votes recorded on the transcript were unanimous.

Votes at a glance - Motion to close the public hearing on the proposed zoning bylaw and map amendments: motion, second, unanimous “aye.” (Transcript: public hearing closed; aye votes recorded.) - Motion to accept the zoning bylaw and map amendments as edited during the public hearing: motion, second, unanimous “aye.” (Transcript: board accepted edits and directed staff to prepare final warrant language.) - Motion to accept minutes from April 16, 2025: motion, second, unanimous “aye.”

Next steps: staff will prepare a clean PDF of the final warrant article language (the chair and staff said they will underline or highlight changes) and work with the town’s warrant keeper to publish the revised articles on the town website and include the language as an appendix to the annual warrant for Town Meeting.

Who said what: the transcript records extensive line-by-line review by planning staff (identified in the meeting as “Kurt” and “Randy”), public comments from Pablo Massey (SunSafe Drive) and multiple board members asking for clarifying text edits. Staff said they will combine duplicated use-table entries so page 4 and page 16 match, and noted they will send a finalized PDF to the warrant keeper, Andrew Golos, for publication.

Background: the amendments reference state law and regulations in several places (the draft text cites “MGL c.48” provisions and 60 CMR 71 in the ADU purpose statement and also cross-references the Massachusetts Building Code and Wetlands Protection Act). The hearing packet was posted on the town website and available at the planning and town-clerk offices.