Board weighs 2-acre overlay to spur housing but opts to wait on state action
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Summary
Members reviewed maps proposing a 2-acre split overlay along two state roads to encourage housing; discussion highlighted trade-offs (infrastructure, school costs, wetlands), and members agreed to monitor SB 84 before proposing warrant articles.
Planning Board members reviewed draft maps and discussed a potential two-acre overlay that would allow smaller lot divisions along Governor’s Road and Wentworth Road as a limited means to increase housing supply.
Speaker 7 presented colored maps that marked parcels possibly eligible for smaller splits and said the overlay would be limited to the two state roads; green areas on the map indicated parcels that currently qualify for subdivision and could be split under a 2-acre rule. Members discussed that adopting a 2-acre division locally could increase housing options but highlighted negatives including added traffic, septic/water constraints, school costs and preservation of Brookfield’s rural character.
Board members repeatedly noted pending state legislation (referred to as SB 84) that could change minimum-lot rules statewide; several members recommended waiting for the state decision and coordinating with other towns and state representatives before moving a local warrant article. The board asked staff to keep monitoring the legislative status and to provide more detailed analysis (wetlands, frontage and unit counts) before making any formal proposal.
Speakers used range estimates when discussing potential housing yield (examples given in the meeting ranged from roughly 25 to 90 extra units depending on assumptions); members acknowledged these figures were preliminary and urged a parcel-by-parcel technical evaluation before any policy move.