Planning board grants continuances, accepts withdrawal and hears updates on housing and MBTA communities bylaw
March 20, 2024 | Town of Westborough, Worcester County, Massachusetts
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The Westborough Planning Board on March 19 handled several procedural items and received updates from planning staff ahead of town meeting.
The board granted continuances for two open public hearings. Andrew Platt requested that the public hearing for site plan review at 165 Flanders Road (ID 22-02443) be continued to April 16, 2024; the board moved, seconded and approved that continuance 5–0. The board also accepted a request from attorney Peter Barbieri to continue the special permit/public hearing for 134 Fisher Street to April 16, 2024 on a unanimous vote.
The board accepted a withdrawal without prejudice for a special permit application at 22 South Street (application ID 24-00356) after receiving an email from the applicant, Spiro Kelly, asking to withdraw. The motion to grant the withdrawal was approved 5–0.
The chair and other board members discussed the context for the 22 South Street withdrawal: the town had received a legal ruling that the application must comply with the town’s current zoning requirement for 20% affordability. Board members expressed concern that a 20% requirement can be unrealistic for very small projects; one board member said that requiring one of two units to be affordable is often not practical. The board asked staff to consider whether the zoning language or thresholds should be revisited for small developments.
Jenny, the director of planning, updated the board on the housing production plan and downtown development outreach. She said the town held a stakeholder meeting and a consultant-led drive around town to document existing housing conditions; staff will produce data-based existing-conditions analysis next. Jenny also urged participation in a downtown scavenger-hunt public engagement activity and announced a public workshop on April 9 from 6–8 p.m. in this room.
Jenny also reported preparatory outreach with the Attorney General’s office and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) about the MBTA communities bylaw the board is advancing to town meeting. She told the board to expect two possible adjustments from those reviewers: a clarification that part of section 3.1 (site plan review) does not apply to the article, and a potential reduction of the draft 20% affordability requirement to 10% if EOHLC or the Attorney General recommend that change. "If EOHLC comes back and tells us we can't do 20% ... the requirement will be 10%," she said. Jenny said she will inform the board as soon as she has final comments.
The board also reviewed minutes from February 6 and scheduled site-walk logistics for upcoming hearings. The meeting adjourned by unanimous vote.
The board granted continuances for two open public hearings. Andrew Platt requested that the public hearing for site plan review at 165 Flanders Road (ID 22-02443) be continued to April 16, 2024; the board moved, seconded and approved that continuance 5–0. The board also accepted a request from attorney Peter Barbieri to continue the special permit/public hearing for 134 Fisher Street to April 16, 2024 on a unanimous vote.
The board accepted a withdrawal without prejudice for a special permit application at 22 South Street (application ID 24-00356) after receiving an email from the applicant, Spiro Kelly, asking to withdraw. The motion to grant the withdrawal was approved 5–0.
The chair and other board members discussed the context for the 22 South Street withdrawal: the town had received a legal ruling that the application must comply with the town’s current zoning requirement for 20% affordability. Board members expressed concern that a 20% requirement can be unrealistic for very small projects; one board member said that requiring one of two units to be affordable is often not practical. The board asked staff to consider whether the zoning language or thresholds should be revisited for small developments.
Jenny, the director of planning, updated the board on the housing production plan and downtown development outreach. She said the town held a stakeholder meeting and a consultant-led drive around town to document existing housing conditions; staff will produce data-based existing-conditions analysis next. Jenny also urged participation in a downtown scavenger-hunt public engagement activity and announced a public workshop on April 9 from 6–8 p.m. in this room.
Jenny also reported preparatory outreach with the Attorney General’s office and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) about the MBTA communities bylaw the board is advancing to town meeting. She told the board to expect two possible adjustments from those reviewers: a clarification that part of section 3.1 (site plan review) does not apply to the article, and a potential reduction of the draft 20% affordability requirement to 10% if EOHLC or the Attorney General recommend that change. "If EOHLC comes back and tells us we can't do 20% ... the requirement will be 10%," she said. Jenny said she will inform the board as soon as she has final comments.
The board also reviewed minutes from February 6 and scheduled site-walk logistics for upcoming hearings. The meeting adjourned by unanimous vote.
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