Ashland schedules zoning work session; members weigh short‑term rental rules and mixed‑use changes

The Ashland Planning Board scheduled a Nov. 14 work session to continue revising local zoning ordinances, including defining "mixed use," reviewing sign‑height limits and considering short‑term rental rules and compact‑area boundaries.

Board members said inconsistencies in current ordinance language and missing map/tax‑lot identifiers complicate past decisions and argued for a targeted working session to produce a coherent draft for attorney review and future warrant inclusion.

Key items for the work session Members asked staff to prepare consolidated drafts and maps for the Nov. 14 session. The chair said he will present a proposed definition for "mixed use" that would specify allowed uses and signage heights in the new district. The board also discussed reducing permitted sign height in certain commercial zones and adding aesthetic controls.

Short‑term rentals and master plan timing Board members described short‑term rentals as an emerging issue that current ordinance language (which emphasizes nontransient residential use) does not explicitly address. "Short term rentals is a huge issue, and it's going to become a much bigger issue," the chair said, and the board raised the question of whether to prohibit or regulate such rentals.

The board also noted the town master plan is roughly 15 years old and must be brought up to date to support broader ordinance changes; members discussed holding a charette in the spring to solicit public input and to align zoning updates with a refreshed master plan.

Next steps The board will compile digital drafts and maps to distribute in advance of the Nov. 14 work session; staff will provide printed copies for the meeting and send drafts to the town attorney after the working session so ordinance language can be prepared for voter consideration.