At last night’s Annual Town Meeting, voters rejected a proposal to update bylaws for special permits for Accessory Apartments. In response, the Planning Board pulled a related Article on oversight of uses that the state now allows by-right. Read the full article → from ADU Bylaw changes fail to pass Town Meeting
At Monday’s Annual Town Meeting, voters will be asked to amend the zoning bylaws for parking in commercial districts. The proposal is to make it easier for businesses to share designated parking spaces. The change isn’t just pro-business. It’s also promoted as “environmentally friendly”. Read the full article → from Annual Town Meeting: Article 30 to enable more shared parking
The Planning Board pitches that the changes will remove the conflicting language and “protect the town’s interests by providing clarity in the zoning code”.
Opponents argue that the board’s proposal under Annual Town Meeting Articles 28 & 29 goes too far in adding local oversight. Read the full article → from Town Meeting Articles 28 & 29 on ADU zoning (Updated)
Despite learning that the zoning bylaws for mixed-use in the Downtown District are less restrictive than he had been told, the developer for a building at 2 East Main Street won’t pursue that use. Instead he will proceed with a multi-family project. Read the full article → from 2 East Main St Update: Hearings being readvertised as Multi-family project
The company that purchased 32 Coslin Drive has since negotiated a deal to buy an abutting parcel. While I’m sharing that news, I’m also providing an update on the Town’s efforts to revise zoning bylaws that could impact both parcels. Read the full article → from Industrial Park update: EMC sold off another property; IP Zoning changes pushed to fall
Special Town Meeting voted to create a bylaw for mixed residential and commercial use buildings zoning downtown. Years later, the first project publicly proposed to make use of the new zoning ran into obstacles that highlight some issues. (The Building Commissioner has apparently interpreted the language differently than it was pitched to voters. And I discovered that the bylaw printed in the online Town Code isn’t the version that voters passed.) Read the full article → from Downtown District’s mixed-use zoning: Code confusion, interpretation issues, and viability criticism
Exactly three weeks after getting the big MBTA Communities overlay zoning bylaw passed, the Planning Board discussed their plans for taking on two new sets of zoning changes. Read the full article → from Planning Board working on more Zoning updates
On Monday, September 30th, voters will decide at a Special Town Meeting whether to support the Planning Board’s proposal for complying with the state’s MBTA Communities zoning laws. Read the full article → from MBTA Zoning Overlay up for vote on Sept 30 (Updated)
MBTA Communities Zoning may be back on track to be voted on at a Town Meeting this year, with two new areas chosen for the section of town near the Southborough train station Read the full article → from Planning Board to open MBTA Zoning hearings on new maps – July 22nd
Tonight is the Planning Board’s re-mapping session for overlay zoning within a 1/2 mile of the commuter rail station.
The board has encouraged residents within the semi-circle to attend the session. The intent is to identify where allowing new by-right high density zoning would have the least negative impact. Read the full article → from MBTA Zoning Mapping Session tonight
At the same time as it seeks relief from the state, the Planning Board is heading back to the drawing board for mapping an MBTA zoning overlay area within a ½ mile of the train station. They will be promoting a new mapping session and looking for impacted residents’ input. Read the full article → from Planning taking new stab at MBTA zoning while asking for some relief
My Southborough accepts signed letters to the editor submitted by Southborough residents. Letters may be emailed to mysouthborough@gmail.com.
The following “Open letter to the Town of Southborough” is from Julie Connelly. Read the full article → from Letter: Southborough must do better for businesses
Last night, the Planning Board voted not to bring the MBTA Communities zoning Article to Annual Town Meeting this month. The board will instead pursue changes for a Special Town Meeting in the fall. Read the full article → from Planning Board hitting pause on MBTA Zoning due to non-compliant map
The Town is requesting that residents participate in the annual survey.* Topics cover quality of life, departments and resources, and priorities for what you would like to see officials focus on.
This year, the survey also includes feedback on two issues that Town officials anticipate being topics at the Annual Town Meeting on March 23rd — MBTA Communities Zoning** and Dispatch staffing models. To help them prepare, and to inform other budget discussions, residents are asked to take part in time for them to compile results. Read the full article → from Complete the 2024 Town survey by March 8th