Planning Board Opens Hearings on Zoning Rewrite

In this report: Key decisions · Next dates · Full report · Sources

What happened

The Natick Planning Board opened public hearings on zoning amendments to relax ground-floor commercial requirements in Downtown Mixed-use and Center Gateway districts, where current rules require 100 percent and 50 percent non-residential use respectively. The board continued two development-review cases to November 4: a five-lot subdivision at 0 Pleasant Street facing a state constructive-approval deadline around November 20, and a Chick-fil-A at 1235 Worcester Street where the applicant was absent for a second consecutive hearing. The board deferred a performance bond decision on 0 Magnolia Road to November 4.

Key decisions

• 📜 Ground-floor non-residential use requirements. Board opened and continued public hearing on amendments relaxing ground-floor commercial requirements in Downtown Mixed-use (100 percent non-residential) and Center Gateway (50 percent non-residential) districts, allowing uses on upper floors or outdoors instead. Board will form working group with Natick Center Associates, residents and landowners before November 4. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 4). Read case details
• 📜 Use regulation schedule and definitions cleanup. Board opened and continued public hearing on comprehensive amendments eliminating redundant use definitions and correcting outdated cross-references in Section 200 (Definitions) and Section 3A.2 (Use Regulation Schedule). Working group to include input from Economic Development Committee, landowners, and attorneys before November 4. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 4). Read case details
• 🏢 Charles River Estates five-lot subdivision. Board continued public hearing to November 4 to allow applicant to meet with Conservation Commission on November 5. Board must act by November 4 to secure written extension before state's 135-day constructive-approval deadline expires around November 20. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 4). Read case details
• 📋 Chick-fil-A drive-through site plan review. Board continued public hearing to November 4 after applicant's second consecutive absence. Board expects applicant to provide answers on legal and ownership foundation at November 4 meeting; staff ordered to arrange peer review of traffic and parking data. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 4). Read case details
• 📋 Performance bond release. Board deferred decision on town engineer's recommendation to release full performance bond to November 4 meeting, citing short notice of receipt. (Next: Nov. 4). Read case details

Next dates

• Nov. 4: Planning Board meeting: continue zoning and development matters
• Feb. 3: Target date: close zoning bylaw hearings

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Full meeting report

The complete, section-by-section account of the meeting, 2,579 words, for members.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.