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North Berwick board establishes committee to draft comp-plan amendment to meet new state housing law
Summary
The Select Board voted to form a planning committee to draft a brief amendment to the town's comprehensive plan so North Berwick can comply with a new state housing law that will change growth-zone density and minimum-lot-size rules; the draft will be posted for 30 days and likely sent to the November ballot.
The Town of North Berwick Select Board on April 21 voted to establish a planning committee, made up of current planning board members, to draft a targeted amendment to the town's comprehensive plan required by a recently enacted state housing law.
Town Manager Dwayne Moren told the board the amendment will be "literally changing five words" in the comp plan but is necessary so the town can remove Residential 1 from its designated growth zones and comply with state requirements set to affect towns statewide. Moren said the process is to prepare a draft, publish it for 30 days, hold a public hearing, then vote; staff suggested placing the question on the November ballot so voters can approve it at the regular election.
Why it matters: the new law alters how growth zones operate, shrinking minimum lot sizes in designated growth areas and adding density requirements tied to a municipality's 10-year building average. Moren said the state's changes would reduce some local minimums (for example, Residential 1 minimums cited in the meeting would shift from a 40,000-square-foot standard to 20,000 square feet in growth zones unless excised) and allow two houses on a lot under certain conditions. He warned the board that the law also places limits on local tools such as special on-site sewer systems and requires new density calculations that many towns must incorporate into zoning and growth ordinances.
Board action: Committee-member motioned to establish the comprehensive plan amendment committee composed of current planning board members; the motion was seconded and the board approved the committee unanimously. The town manager said staff already has a draft prepared and will meet with the planning board to refine it before publication and public hearing.
What happens next: the committee will prepare the amendment, publish the draft for public comment for 30 days, hold a public hearing, and the amendment is expected to be placed on the November ballot for voter approval. The board and staff emphasized the work is time-sensitive because the town has until July 2027 to come into compliance with the state statute.
Attribution and context: Town Manager Dwayne Moren led the briefing and described the procedural steps and policy implications; several board members asked clarifying questions about how minimum lot sizes, water and sewer provision, and density calculations will change under the new law. The meeting transcript records concerns about groundwater and septic interactions raised from prior local experience in neighboring communities; the manager said the town's attorney will help craft local language and that hydrological or environmental study provisions could be considered in future zoning language.
The board recorded the committee vote in open session and directed staff to move forward with outreach and the drafting schedule.
