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Planning staff sends draft zoning changes to planning board, including data-center definition and telecom safety updates
Summary
Planning staff presented multiple draft zoning-bylaw changes — including clarifying multifamily allowances in the Health Care Industrial District, tightening tower-safety certificate timing for telecom renewals, expanding density-bonus eligibility, and adding a definition that would prohibit principal data centers while permitting accessory data-center uses in industrial districts — and asked the Select Board to refer the drafts to the planning board for further review and public hearing.
Planning staff outlined several draft zoning-bylaw changes that the Select Board moved to refer to the Planning Board for public hearing and refinement.
Staff described a proposed footnote clarifying that multifamily residential is permitted by right only for reuse of existing mill buildings in the Health Care Industrial District and that new multifamily construction would require a special permit. On tower safety, staff proposed aligning special-permit renewal timing with industry structural-certification cycles so that a tower's safety certification will not lapse during the special-permit period.
On housing incentives, staff proposed expanding the density-bonus program to allow projects that require site-plan review or special permit to negotiate affordable-unit incentives. Board members raised concerns about water-capacity impacts of additional units and noted that the planning board cannot deny permits solely for lack of water supply; staff said DPW and building officials control connections and permitting.
Finally, staff proposed creating a definition for "data center" that would make principal data centers not allowed in any zone in Maynard while permitting small accessory data-center uses in industrial and Health Care Industrial zones; staff said the approach clarifies the rule and allows preexisting small computing operations to continue.
The board voted to refer the draft zoning bylaw materials to the Planning Board and to continue public review.
