Acton officials back plan for temporary moratorium on new gravel pits amid resident concerns

The Acton Planning Board has asked the Board of Selectmen to support calling a Special Town Meeting so residents can vote on a temporary moratorium to pause the growth of new gravel pits and extraction areas, the town record shows.

The Town Administrator read a statement from Jason Sevigny, the town’s Code Enforcement Officer, reporting that residents and Planning Board members have raised concerns about “the conditional uses of existing gravel pits, extraction areas, heavy equipment and commercial truck traffic as well as what the extraction areas might be doing to Acton’s landscape.” The Planning Board asked that the Selectmen approve holding a Special Town Meeting that would allow voters to decide on a moratorium while officials review land‑use and zoning standards.

Selectmen agreed that a moratorium is time‑sensitive and supported the Planning Board preparing a draft. The board outlined the intended review path: the Planning Board will draft the moratorium language, then submit it to the Selectmen’s Office, the Finance Committee for recommendations, and the Town Attorney for review. Selectman David Winchell Jr. summarized the board’s view that the effort "does not affect those already established" and is intended to create consistent rules going forward.

Resident commenters and Planning Board representatives warned of safety, heavy‑vehicle traffic and landscape impacts; a community member cited legal limits on moratoria, pointing to Title 30A §4356 and noting a 180‑day maximum period before an extension by vote. The Planning Board’s next regular meeting was noted as Jan. 6, 2022, and officials said the board may call an earlier meeting to vote on the draft and set timing for a Special Town Meeting.

The Selectmen endorsed letting the Planning Board proceed with drafting and testing moratorium language, with subsequent review by finance staff and the Town Attorney before any public vote.