Board delays Old South Road/Forest Ave map changes after neighbor concerns

The planning board agreed to continue map‑change proposals affecting Old South Road, Forest Avenue, Rosebud Lane and Hinsdale Road to give staff time to meet with affected owners and to refine the zoning recommendations.

Why it came up: Staff proposed reclassifying a number of parcels from older commercial/residential hybrid districts to the Town’s Commercial Neighborhood (CN) district to align use categories and simplify future permitting. Several property owners said the change could reduce future subdivision potential and asked for more time to complete in‑progress plans.

Owner concerns: Richard (Rich) told the board he had a surveyor and plans near completion and said, “If I don't get this plan in by May, I guess, because I'll have to start over,” asking for a short delay. Deb Holgate, speaking for 3 Forest Street, asked that her parcel be excluded or otherwise handled carefully because the family has recently subdivided and planned homeownership transitions.

Staff response and board action: Planning staff said the principal change is how properties would be classified for future subdivision and density calculations (for example, CN residential calculations differ from the current RC/RC2 allowances). Staff offered two practical options: (1) remove individual parcels from this article so owners can complete imminent plans under current rules, or (2) continue the entire article so staff can meet with owners and present a revised package at the Feb. 9 meeting. The board voted to continue the map amendments to Feb. 9 and instructed staff to meet with owners to assess parcel‑level impacts and possible carve‑outs.

Next steps: Staff will meet with the affected owners and return Feb. 9 with adjusted proposal language or with a plan to exclude specific parcels from the current article. The board highlighted it will weigh neighborhood context and long‑term town goals when considering rezoning requests.