The most engaging topic of the meeting was the reapplication for a comprehensive permit on Riverneck Road by 243 Riverneck LLC. The property, represented by attorney Adam Costa, sought approval for a development plan including seven single-family homes for sale and sixteen townhouses for rent, with six units earmarked as affordable housing. This proposal under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40B follows a failed attempt to secure a local initiative program endorsement from the Town Select Board. Despite this setback, the application proceeded to the Zoning Board with hopes of leveraging the state’s affordable housing statutes.

Costa detailed the property’s history, noting a previous permit granted in the early 2000s that was never realized due to litigation. More recently, the town determined it met the statutory minimum for affordable housing, which allowed it to reject the Chapter 40B application. This decision was appealed to the Housing Appeals Committee, and Costa argued that recent developments, particularly concerning the 255 Princeton Street project, had altered the town’s affordable housing inventory status. He contended that the town had fallen below the 10% threshold, which justified the resubmission of their application. Costa emphasized that the new proposal was a less intense use of the site compared to a previous 48-unit plan.

The board members expressed uncertainty about proceeding before the Housing Appeals Committee reached a verdict on the town’s safe harbor status. They considered whether continuing the public hearing or an outright denial was the appropriate course of action. A motion was ultimately made to assert that the town met the statutory minimum for subsidized housing, invoking the 10% rule. This motion passed unanimously, followed by another motion to continue the hearing to February 2026, allowing more time for developments in the ongoing appeal.

The meeting also addressed a special permit application for a property on Queen Street, where property owners Thomas and Ashley Coons requested approval to build an attached two-car garage and an addition to their home, despite nonconforming lot dimensions. The board discussed the implications of existing setback requirements and the need for a special permit due to the lot’s nonconforming status. The Coons explained their need for additional space for family gatherings and outlined their intent to preserve the neighborhood’s aesthetic.

Community input centered around privacy concerns, with Douglas House representing neighboring property interests. He advocated for the preservation of existing evergreen bushes and proposed conditions to maintain a privacy buffer between the lots. The board considered how to incorporate these concerns into the permit conditions, emphasizing the need for a cooperative solution. Ultimately, the board approved the special permit, including a condition for a mutually agreed-upon privacy arrangement.

Attention then turned to 101 Mill Road, where William Harvey presented an application to convert a historic single-family dwelling into a two-family unit. The property, built in 1850 and listed on the historic registry, met the criteria for such a conversion under town bylaws. Harvey assured the board that the only exterior alteration would be a secondary egress, designed to blend seamlessly with the existing structure. While most town departments had no objections, a letter from a resident, Brian Strip, opposed the conversion, citing previous intentions to preserve the property as a single-family home.

The board acknowledged the town’s past difficulties in selling the property and recognized there was no binding commitment preventing its conversion to a two-family dwelling. Their decision to approve the special permit was based on these factors, with the motion passing unanimously after a review of related department letters and community input.