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Select Board backs Governor Prince comprehensive permit, asks for Orleans local preference
Summary
The Select Board voted unanimously to support the Governor Prince comprehensive-permit application (67 Route 6 / 67 Route 6A) and requested Orleans-first local preference (residents, those who work in town, or families with children at Orleans Elementary School), with regional preference as a second priority.
The Orleans Select Board unanimously authorized a letter of support for the Governor Prince comprehensive-permit application and asked the zoning board to include strong local-preference conditions.
Elizabeth Jenkins briefed the board on the comprehensive-permit process (Chapter 40B): the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has granting authority and will hold hearings; the Select Board’s role is to provide comments. Staff and the board discussed two policy issues: fee waivers and a local preference request for the initial lottery.
Select Board member Kevin moved that the board support the application for the properties at 67 Route 6 and 67 Route 6A and request local preference to the “maximum extent allowed,” defining local preference as applicants who live in Orleans, work in Orleans, or have a student at Orleans Elementary School; the motion also requested a regional preference as a secondary priority for the rental and homeownership portions of the project. The motion passed unanimously.
The board also asked staff to draft comments for the ZBA record that stress design, massing, and street-level appearance and to request that the ZBA and developer prioritize local applicants in the initial lottery to the extent the state program permits.
Why it matters: Comprehensive permits can add affordable rental and homeownership options faster than traditional zoning processes; a local-preference request increases the likelihood Orleans residents and workers access units first.
