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Planning board agrees to put billboard bylaw and zoning updates on March warrant after OutFront presentation
Summary
After a presentation by OutFront on a proposed digital billboard at 155 Flanders Road, the Westborough Planning Board voted to sponsor a billboard bylaw and also agreed to add downtown zoning and a sign‑bylaw placeholder to the March 2026 town meeting warrant; staff will host public hearings in February.
The Westborough Planning Board voted Jan. 6 to place a proposed billboard bylaw on the March 2026 town meeting warrant after representatives of OutFront outlined a plan for a single digital sign at 155 Flanders Road.
Amanda Guinello of OutFront and attorney Jim McGrail told the board they were proposing one 14‑by‑48 digital billboard near I‑495, on private property, and that the company would negotiate a "host services" agreement with the town to provide municipal messaging and mitigation payments. "We're not trying to put billboards throughout the town of Westborough," McGrail said, emphasizing a single strategic location and the ability to dedicate space for public‑service alerts and local advertising.
OutFront said the sign would dedicate 15 hours per month for community or municipal messaging separate from state‑required messages and that it could restrict certain ad categories by contractual agreement. The company also described federal and state spacing rules that limit where roadside billboards can be sited and said placing a sign at 155 Flanders Road would exclude a number of nearby locations because of spacing and ramp‑buffer limits.
Several board members voiced reservations about the proposal’s local benefits and visibility. Planning Board member Hazel Nurse said she was skeptical that a sign visible from I‑495 would materially benefit Westborough businesses because motorists could not easily access town businesses from the highway. "I don't see what the huge benefit is to the town for this," Nurse said, asking whether the town’s share of revenues would be sufficient to justify a bylaw change.
Board members sought clarity on who would negotiate any town financial agreement; staff said such terms would be negotiated with the select board and would vary by town. OutFront provided examples of compensation structures used elsewhere, ranging from upfront payments to multi‑year annual fees, but told the board the company typically negotiates specifics with each municipality.
After discussion the board voted to sponsor a billboard zoning article and to put it on the March town meeting warrant for public consideration. The board also voted to place two related items on the warrant: an updated downtown zoning article and a community‑wide sign bylaw draft (the latter recorded as passing the board with a 4–1 tally after debate over timing and scope). Planning staff will schedule public hearings—advertised for Feb. 3 for some items—and the board said it will present draft bylaw language for review before town meeting.
No binding host agreement or site permit was approved at the meeting; the decisions were procedural votes to add articles to the warrant so voters, town boards and staff can vet the proposals through public hearings and negotiations.
Next steps include a consultant presentation on the sign bylaw on Jan. 20, staff drafting billboard bylaw language, and advertised public hearings in February ahead of town meeting in March.
