Milford planning board hears housing audit, consultants suggest 'gentle' housing and zoning updates

Consultants from Resilience Planning and Design briefed the Milford Planning Board on June 17 on a housing-land-use audit and the results of a recent public forum, urging targeted zoning updates and a schedule to use HOP grant funding to draft implementable regulations ahead of a new Master Plan.

The audit, Resilience principal Steve Whitman told the board, "is intended to be a review of your policies and your regulations." He said the team compared the 2010 Master Plan, the housing needs assessment, and outreach materials to current zoning and identified gaps, inconsistencies and opportunities—especially for smaller, for‑sale and “gentle density” housing types.

The public‑forum summary, presented by Liz Kelly of Resilience Planning and Design, reported robust turnout: "about 95 to 102 people who attended the forum and actually completed that questionnaire handout." Kelly said the forum showed broad support for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), small homes and adaptive reuse, but more skepticism for large garden‑style apartment complexes. "There appeared to be mixed views on housing diversity," she said, noting 77% of respondents recognized a need for more affordable housing, while only 57% supported a wide range of housing types.

Why it matters: the consultants framed the audit as a practical short‑term tool to inform the Master Plan update and to produce regulatory changes that can be drafted and adopted using the grant funding. Steve Whitman told the board the HOP grant work could run in parallel with the Master Plan process so the town can begin implementing regulations before the full plan is adopted.

Key recommendations included clearer purpose statements for zoning districts (Article 5), modest adjustments to ADU rules pending state changes, and consideration of new provisions for cottage courts, small homes, duplexes/triplexes and adaptive reuse. Whitman highlighted that the fiscal impact analysis included in the Master Plan materials estimated smaller for‑sale housing (townhomes, condos) would yield higher fiscal returns than some other types.

Board members and staff discussed next steps and timing. Camille Pattison, director of community development, and Terry Dolan, community planner, confirmed the audit materials and forum summary are available through the Master Plan page on the town website. Whitman proposed meeting with the Master Plan Committee in July, drafting vision and future‑land‑use materials in August, and producing enough core content by September for a draft Master Plan.

The board did not take a formal regulatory vote at the meeting. Instead members agreed to consider priorities and return with guidance: the consultants offered to draft specific ordinance language and voter guides under the HOP grant if the board identifies which changes to prioritize. Planning Board Vice Chair Janet Lindell asked board members to review the materials and bring one or two priorities to the next meeting.

Board members emphasized outreach and coordination. Lindell and others said they want to engage other land‑use boards and the Board of Selectmen before choosing which zoning changes to pursue. Camille Pattison said staff circulated the materials to the town’s land‑use boards and would follow up to broaden engagement.

What to watch: the board and consultants plan follow‑up discussions in July/August to prioritize draft regulations the HOP grant can fund and to feed near‑term regulatory changes into the Master Plan update.