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Board recommends narrow ordinance to permit small neighborhood gas stations subject to aquifer protections
Summary
Planning board recommended an ordinance to allow a limited ‘neighborhood gasoline service station’ by special use in neighborhood business zones, with size, pump and aquifer‑protection limits; staff will amend use table to require aquifer permits in primary and secondary overlay zones.
Hopkinton Planning Board on July 2 recommended a draft ordinance to permit a narrowly defined “neighborhood gasoline service station” in the town’s neighborhood business district, as a special‑use permit with objective criteria intended to prevent larger or higher‑impact stations.
Planner Ashley presented a draft intended to accommodate a single property owner’s proposal while restricting scale: the draft limits pumps to four, maximum building gross floor area to 1,500 square feet, prohibits vehicle repair and storage, and requires an aquifer protection permit for sites in the primary and secondary aquifer overlay zones. The board asked staff to correct the use table so the aquifer protection requirement is enforced (staff confirmed they would change the use table entries from “N” to “A” for primary and secondary overlay aquifer areas to require an aquifer protection permit).
Board members emphasized the ordinance is narrow by design: it is not intended to allow large convenience‑store chain stations or truck stops, but to enable smaller, neighborhood‑scale fueling operations. The board voted to forward the amended ordinance to the town council with a positive recommendation.
