PERMITTING PROCESS FOR MEADOWBROOK COMMONS (EA) AND THE VILLAGES AT SHERBORN (40B)

First, an email distribution list has been created that will used to notify people of upcoming meetings or activities, plans, reports, etc., for those interested. To get on the list send an email to planning@sherbornma.org.

The next step is that Trask has to do a lot of detailed engineering to prepare final plans for both projects. Since they will share a wastewater treatment plant and water, it makes sense to do the engineering for both projects together.

As for permitting, Trask's "Coolidge Crossing" 40B project is on hold and before the Housing Appeals Committee. It may be moot because "Meadowbrook Commons" (the EA that just got preliminary approval) would replace Coolidge Crossing anyway. The Villages rental project is before the Mass Housing Partnership for consideration of a Project Eligibility Letter (approval is highly likely). Once Trask gets that letter and gets the engineering done, he can apply for both projects. One wrinkle is that 40B projects are submitted to the ZBA while EA projects are submitted to the Planning Board (PB).

Due to the nature of the two projects, considerable collaboration is likely. That would likely include, at a minimum,  hiring the same peer reviewer, but could potentially include joint hearings which would make it easier on everyone involved.

As for timelines, again the rules differ between 40B's and EA (and all special permits). The first hearing for a 40B must occur within 30 days of submitting a complete application. Special permits must be heard within 65 days of application. Again, the PB may schedule its hearing at the same time as ZBA if the application for both projects are complete. Then, the PB must make a decision within 90 days of closing the hearing, but there is no real limit on how long the hearings may continue. On the other hand, the hearings on a 40B must close within 180 days of opening (unless mutually agreed by the applicant and ZBA to extend it). The PB decision must be filed with Town Clerk within 90 days of close of hearing while a 40B decision must be filed within 40 days of close of hearing.

The opening hearing of both permits must be advertised in a newspaper twice - at least 14 days in advance and then at least 7 days in advance. Abutters within 300 feet of the perimeter of the property must get a notice in the mail. There is no specific timeframe for that other than "reasonable." PB has already decided it will expand that distance to notify  everyone on Meadowbrook Road and much of Coolidge Street plus anyone who provides an email address.  After the first hearing, no additional notices are mailed and there are no more newspaper ads. The ZBA and PB must announce the time and date and place of the next hearing at the first and all subsequent ones. Email notices though, will be sent to everyone on the list.

PLANNING BOARD TO HOLD HEARING ON POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON COOLIDGE STREET

As you may know, a developer has applied for comprehensive permits (also know as 40B) on two abutting sites at 84 and 104 Coolidge Street. The project at 104 Coolidge would be 88 townhouse style units (22 of which would qualify as affordable under State rules) while the project at 84 Coolidge would be 88 rental apartments in a single L-shaped building. The affordable units in the rental project would all count toward our 10% goal.

Trask Development has indicated an interest in redesigning the townhouse project to an age-restricted (over 55) project of 67 units of which 7 would be affordable. The project would then comply with Sherborn's rules rather than the State's rules. In this scenario, the rental project would remain as currently proposed. In order to do this however, Sherborn's EA zoning bylaw would need to be amended to remove the current restriction which currently only allows such projects within 1 mile of the Washington/North Main/South Main intersection.

A Special Town Meeting is scheduled for December 6 to consider 2 zoning changes. One would amend the EA section of the Zoning Bylaw to remove the 1-mile restriction and to provide for affordable units to be included in an age-restricted development. The other would rezone the Coolidge Street property to EA in conjunction with a Preliminary Development Plan.

The Planning Board hearing on the zoning changes will be held on November 7 at 7:00 PM. The Advisory Committee will also hold a hearing on November 8 at 7:00 PM. The Preliminary Development Plan will be posted on the Town web site shortly.

FORUMS ON NEW DRAFT GENERAL PLAN BEGIN JANUARY 25

The Sherborn Planning Board invites all residents to the first of a series of public forums on the new draft General Plan for the Town. This forum will focus on the Natural Resource and Open Space goals of the General Plan. As these goals are also part of the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan, this forum is co-sponsored by the Open Space Committee.

The forum is a step in the Planning Board's process of producing a new General Plan for the Town, the first since 2001. State law requires that the Planning Board of each town must adopt a comprehensive Plan to provide a basis for decision-making regarding the long-term development of the town. The current Sherborn Planning Board is committed to producing a General Plan that provides a shared vision of Sherborn's future, including preservation of the Town's most valued assets as well as needed improvements.  The Plan seeks to define broad goals for the coming years and decades and to provide clear recommendations, practical strategies and specific actions to fulfill those goals. 

From the start, the Planning Board has sought to make the process as inclusive and transparent as possible. It began in 2014 with a town-wide survey, followed by formation of volunteer citizen "working groups" who worked for many months to produce draft sections of the Plan. Over the past several months these drafts have been reviewed and revised by the Planning Board with input from many Town Boards and Committees.  So far, dozens of Town residents have taken an active role in the General Plan process.

While the writing and editing process is ongoing, sections of the draft General Plan are being presented to all interested residents in a series of public forums. The first will be held on Wednesday, January 25th at 7:00 PM at the Sherborn Town Hall.  It will be focused on Goals concerning Sherborn's Natural Resources and Open Space. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.