A significant portion of the meeting focused on the approval of the disposition of 28 Null Road for affordable housing. The board confirmed the property, acquired over a decade ago, for development by a nonprofit organization. Although the town cannot intervene on private properties, the board expressed a commitment to ensuring new projects like 28 Null Road are successful. The request for proposals will include provisions for funding through the affordable housing fund, covering up to 33% of construction costs, with the goal of maintaining long-term affordability. This decision aligns with the town’s strategic efforts to address housing needs and invites potential bidders to contribute to the community.

Parallel to housing development efforts, water supply challenges dominated the meeting. Recent peak demands of 1.7 million gallons per day during a heatwave exceeded the town’s capacity, necessitating new water restrictions prohibiting non-essential use for municipal water users and encouraging conservation by private well users. These measures aim to safeguard emergency preparedness, especially in fire scenarios, and reflect the town’s acknowledgment of community cooperation in adhering to restrictions.

The board also focused on the MWA connection project, a step in addressing future water needs. Key developments included a meeting with Southborough officials to discuss the intermunicipal agreement and a request for a water needs forecast from the Office of Water Resources. A presentation by consultant PAR to the Water and Sewer Advisory Board outlined the project’s status and emphasized the need for a joint scoping session with state agencies to advance the permitting process.

Debate ensued over the appropriate volume of water to request, with projections ranging up to 2.7 million gallons per day based on strategic goals. Concerns were raised about the flexibility of future adjustments, as changes would require a new permitting process. The Massachusetts Joint Water Authority (MJWA) will charge based on actual usage, influencing negotiations with Southborough on capacity requirements. A thorough evaluation process is underway to better understand the town’s long-term water needs, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for August 5th to present further analysis results.

In addition to housing and water challenges, the meeting addressed community engagement and ongoing projects. Plans for a public forum in the fall aim to address environmental and public health concerns, particularly related to PAS. Updates on the Main Street Corridor project, including telecommunications infrastructure work by Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon, were shared, projecting completion by mid-July.

Personnel matters were also discussed, with the board authorizing the advertisement of vacancies for a principal planner, a human resources generalist, and a health services agent. These positions, crucial for maintaining town operations, received support for a prompt recruitment process.