A member of the Planning Board expressed notable dissatisfaction with the exclusion of board members from the redevelopment committee for what was described as a “large piece of property” vital to the town’s future development. The member recounted their experience at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting, where inquiries about this exclusion were met with unresponsiveness. The board considered drafting a letter to the Board of Selectmen to formally request an explanation and advocate for Planning Board representation in future planning discussions.

The board also discussed potential strategies to ensure their voices are heard, including attendance at the next Board of Selectmen meeting. However, with the next meeting scheduled in four weeks, the Planning Board felt the need to act swiftly, deciding to draft a letter articulating their concerns and requesting a meeting with the Selectmen. The letter aims to emphasize the importance of their expertise in planning taxpayer-funded projects, which currently remain unused and uninsured.

In another discussion, the Planning Board reviewed proposed amendments to the zoning bylaws ahead of the special town meeting on November 19, 2024. The proposed changes include a critical revision to the method of calculating fees that developers pay instead of creating affordable housing units. The amendment seeks to align these fees with median home prices rather than median income. Kathy Williams, the Town Planner, detailed the planned annual reevaluation of these fees, noting that they would differ for various housing types, such as single-family homes and multifamily units. The board discussed the timing of these evaluations to ensure clarity for developers and avoid any confusion due to differing agency calendars.

The second zoning proposal aimed to regulate seasonal employee housing in hotels and motels along Southshore Drive, limiting the use of rooms for employee housing to 15% without additional special permits. This amendment responds to local residents’ concerns about the impact of seasonal housing on their neighborhoods. The board engaged in clarifying the implications of these zoning changes for developers and the community.

Community engagement and communication strategies were another focal point of the meeting. The board reflected on feedback from a recent open house concerning the Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) update. High community engagement was noted, with participants expressing a strong interest in local issues. The board acknowledged the challenge of presenting complex data in an accessible manner and discussed the potential of individual surveys on specific topics like housing and economic policies to gather more focused feedback. Communication emerged as a critical theme, with the board emphasizing the need for effective outreach to ensure community awareness and involvement in planning processes.

Additionally, the board discussed the naming of a new park, which sparked controversy due to the inclusion of “Boardwalk” in its name. A community member criticized this choice, emphasizing that it undermined the committee’s efforts and suggested revisiting the list of proposed names. The board considered drafting a letter to the select board to formally express these concerns.