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Select Board and staff pause duplex and MRCO zoning proposals amid water-supply and wastewater concerns
Summary
The planning director briefed the board on several planning-board warrant articles — technical corrections, duplexes by special permit, nonconforming use corrections, and an expansion of the Mixed Residential and Commercial Overlay. Staff and several board members recommended holding two articles (duplexes and MRCO expansion) to further analyze wastewater and water-supply impacts before advancing them to Town Meeting.
Jed Cornock, the town's community development director, presented four planning-board proposed warrant articles the board will consider for inclusion on the October Town Meeting warrant: routine technical corrections, a duplex-by-special-permit proposal for residential districts, corrections to Article 10 (nonconforming structures/uses) to align with state law, and an expansion of the Mixed Residential and Commercial Overlay (MRCO) that would add B1/B2/BR zones.
Cornock noted that state-level legislation under consideration could make duplexes allowable by right statewide and would supersede local changes; he told the board that if the state law passes, local special-permit rules would be overridden. The water superintendent's negative referral and wastewater implications prompted several board members to request more time to evaluate water-supply and wastewater impacts, and management recommended the planning board hold off on the duplex and MRCO-expansion articles until those impacts are better understood.
Board members also expressed frustration that a water-supply memo had been circulated to the planning board and media before the Select Board had been briefed; staff said a dedicated discussion with the water superintendent and further public hearing work is scheduled for August 31. The planning board will continue its hearing and staff will return to the Select Board with updated recommendations and any revised article language.
