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Rockport planning board advances zoning‑map cleanups but excludes two contested Wildwood/Meadow parcels
Summary
After extensive resident comment, the Rockport Planning Board recommended most proposed zoning‑map amendments to the select board but agreed to leave two Meadow/Wildwood parcels off the change list; it kept a Route 90 rezone sought by Rockport Granite for workforce housing.
The Rockport Planning Board on Feb. 26 recommended most proposed zoning‑map updates to the select board but withdrew two contested parcels after residents objected.
The board's proposal would align several split or oddly zoned parcels with the town's comprehensive plan, focusing on areas along Route 90, Route One, West Rockport (Simon's Corner) and the Rockvilleish area. Staff planner Ryan said the changes were intended to remove “split” zoning that creates uncertainty for owners and developers and to make the map conform to the voters' direction in the comprehensive plan.
At a lengthy public‑comment period, neighbors from the Wildwood subdivision and Meadow Street urged the board to preserve the residential character of two specific lots on Wildwood Lane and Meadow Street, citing traffic safety on the Route One corner, restrictive covenants, and concerns about future commercial or multi‑story development. Chip Bower, who said he has lived on Wildwood Lane 32 years, told the board “we are asking that you remove those two from the request to change it to 907.” Jody Fry Tag and other residents described repeated vehicle crashes at the Route One turn and said rezoning would threaten neighborhood safety and character.
Representatives for Rockport Granite urged the board to approve a rezoning of lot 25‑133 behind the Route 90 frontage to allow employer workforce housing and material storage. David Noise, representing Rockport Granite, said the change would support workforce housing for employees in connection with planned facility expansion.
After hearing residents and reviewing the map, the board debated whether to proceed with the package wholesale. Members said some map edits appeared to be minor cleanups and consistent with the comprehensive plan, while other pockets deserved additional study and deference to direct abutters. The board voted to recommend the overall map changes to the select board but to keep the two Meadow/Wildwood parcels in their current coastal‑residential designation; it left the Route 90 parcel supported by Rockport Granite in the recommended package.
The planning board chair and staff reiterated that the select board and voters will have final review, and that restrictive covenants remain a private, civil matter separate from zoning: “If you have restrictive covenants, those are there for a reason,” staff said, noting the town does not enforce private covenants. The select board will consider the planning board's recommendation on its meeting calendar.
What happens next: The planning board's recommendation will be included in the select board packet; if the select board forwards the changes to a warrant article, the town's voters will decide, giving direct abutters further opportunity to weigh in.
