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Sharon Planning Board moves to formalize PO Square design guidelines
Summary
The Planning Board agreed to pursue formal design guidelines and zoning updates for PO Square (Business A), seeking consultant support to balance aesthetic guidance with enforceable bylaws and preserve title 5 considerations.
The Sharon Planning Board on April 30 agreed to pursue formal design guidelines and a review of the town’s land-use table to shape development in PO Square, the area the board described as Business A that extends to the CVS.
Alex Schneiderman, a Planning Board member, said the board should "formalize the guidelines into rules" and distinguish business from residential uses. Vice Chair Oanh Nguyen said PO Square "should drive the economy in Sharon," arguing the area currently lacks sufficient commercial storefronts and needs a strategy to encourage appropriate mixed-use and commercial activity. Chair Rob Maidman emphasized that guidelines address appearance while bylaws create enforceable standards, and noted that applicants may still seek zoning relief from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) if needed.
Board members repeatedly recommended hiring a consultant to translate community goals into implementable regulations. Dianne Needle told the board that guidelines must include "requirements not recommendations" for commercial appearance, while Mr. Maidman said design work must also respect Title 5 sewage rules until a municipal cooperative capability is available. The board agreed the first step is to draft an RFP for consultant services to determine which elements of the existing guidelines should be changed, removed, or elevated into zoning.
