Planning Board

Meetings

7:00 pm
Monday evenings as posted on the Town Calendar
Zoom or Town Hall
29 Middle Road
Boxborough, MA 01719

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

Members

Mark Barbadoro, Chair
Term expires: 2023
Kathleen Vorce
Term expires: 2025
Cindy Markowitz, Clerk
Term expires: 2023
Rebecca Verner
Term expires: 2024
Mark White
Term expires: 2025
Janet Keating-Connolly, Associate Member Term expires: 2024

Planning Board Contact Form - This form allows you to contact all members of the Planning Board regarding your planning and development questions.

Overview

The Planning Board is an elected five-member board with a term length of three years. The Planning Board is supported by the Town Planner, who offers administrative assistance as well as guidance on the technical and theoretical aspects of planning.

The Planning Board has several different responsibilities involving land use planning and development that cover the following topics as well as other items:

The Planning Board administers the Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land, meaning the Board reviews and makes decisions to determine whether subdivision proposals are approved, approved with conditions, or denied.
The Board is the Special Permit Granting Authority for particular items as described in the Boxborough Zoning Bylaw (PDF), meaning the Board reviews and makes decisions on applications for certain Special Permits.
Additionally, the Planning Board proposes zoning amendments to Town Meeting and plays a role in reviewing proposed amendments before they are put on the Town Meeting Warrant.
The Board also has the authority to officially approve a Master Plan and worked with the Master Plan Update Committee on the most recent Master Plan update which was approved in January 2016. The Select Board and Planning Board met twice in 2020, asking the responsible groups to provide updates on the actions items in the Master Plan. These updates are represented in the Board's January 13 and November 9 Meeting Minutes and the Actions Status Spreadsheet.
The Planning Board is also charged with evaluating the impact of residential, commercial, and industrial projects on the community which meet the threshold requiring Site Plan Approval. When appropriate, the Planning Board will require alterations to these projects to mitigate impacts to abutters and the community.

Economic Development Planning

As part of the Master Planning process, the Planning Board has endorsed the Economic Development Committee’s proposal to engage the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMASS) Amherst Center for Economic Development Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) to conduct a study to support the development of a long-term Economic Development plan for the town. The study is comprised of two phases, with Phase I conducted in the fall of 2019 and Phase II to be conducted in the spring of 2020. For more information, view the UMASS Proposal (PDF).

Get Involved

If you are interested in growth and development issues, and land use planning, you should consider running for the Planning Board. For more information, call the Town Planner at 978-264-1723.