Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Grant Notice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges mailed notice and details on state grant backing zoning rewrite
Summary
During public comment, resident Joe Kaggliano pressed the Planning Board to disclose the purpose of a $60,000 state grant and to mail notice to residents about major bylaw changes, arguing newspaper notice is inadequate for significant changes to property rights.
Two public commenters asked the board to consider practical impacts of the zoning rewrite and to improve outreach.
Kevin Walker, a civil engineer from Bridgewater, told the board he reads zoning changes closely and urged careful matching of allowed uses to sewer availability in different districts. "When I see a zoning change ... it's kind of a hobby of mine to kind of read through them," Walker said, and he recommended the board ensure uses in village commercial districts align with on-site sewer capacity.
Joe Kaggliano, who addressed the board online and by microphone, asked for details about a $60,000 grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities that paid for consultant work. He asked whether the grant influenced the bylaw direction and whether the town could have used grant funds to mail notice to all residents. Kaggliano argued mailed notice is necessary for major bylaw revisions and told the board, "Unless you're notifying people by mail you're not properly notifying them," urging the board to consider direct mail even if it would cost roughly $6,400 to reach all households twice.
Planning staff replied that the grant paid consulting costs (staff named the consultant) and that the project team had posted redline documents, comparison tables and a summary presentation on the planning page; staff described recorded meetings and online materials as the primary public outreach channels. Staff also said Joe's letter had been received and would be included in the joint meeting with the select board for further consideration of outreach and mailing requests.
The board acknowledged the mailing request and suggested the select board and town manager be involved in decisions that would affect the town budget or require additional spending for direct mail.
