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Planning staff previews downtown parking plan and multiple town‑meeting zoning articles
Summary
Planning staff announced a public presentation of the downtown parking management plan and previewed six redlined articles for the upcoming town meeting, including accessory apartment updates, home‑based business amendments, and a rewritten nonconforming section.
Planning Department staff told the Planning Board that consultants will present the downtown parking management plan at a public session (noted for Thursday, Sept. 12) at Mullen Hall Elementary School, with the presentation recorded by FCTV and materials posted on the town’s website. Staff encouraged public attendance and said the presentation will include recommendations and a public comment period.
Staff also previewed redlined articles that the Select Board has placed on the warrant for town meeting. The packet contains six articles affecting the mixed residential and commercial overlay district; two amendments to the accessory apartment bylaw (one to conform to new state law and another to update display in use tables); two amendments renaming and clarifying the Home‑Occupation bylaw to 'Home‑Based Business'; and an updated nonconforming section, which staff said incorporates state law language. A consultant (Bob Mitchell) will provide an overview when the Planning Board opens the hearing on these articles on Sept. 17.
Finally, staff noted the Select Board executed a warrant creating a general bylaw to regulate short‑term rentals; if town meeting approves, the Board of Health will serve as the permitting authority under the general code rather than as a zoning matter. The draft bylaw seeks to restrict corporate entities and caps short‑term rentals at one per property without a special permit; detailed rules and fees will be set by the Board of Health if adopted.
