Zoning Recodification Warrant Article – Spring Town Meeting
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning Bylaw by replacing the current bylaw on file with the Town Clerk’s Office dated October 2022 with the Zoning Bylaw and Appendices A and B as follows:
- Reorganizing, repositioning, recaptioning, and renumbering sections of the Zoning Bylaw to enhance accessibility and adaptability;
- Updating and clarifying the purposes and authority of the Zoning Bylaw to clearly state the basis for the Town’s zoning regulations;
- Improving definitions to more clearly describe zoning districts, uses, and requirements;
- Providing consistency with current State law;
- Eliminating redundant or unnecessary provisions; making amendments such as correcting spelling and typographical errors, and eliminating or updating outdated statutory references;
- Revising, reorganizing and clarifying Zoning Bylaw administrative provisions; and
- Removing districts from the Zoning Bylaw that have not been added to the Zoning Map.
What is ‘Zoning Recodification?’
Recodification is the updating and reorganizing of the zoning bylaw for the purpose of clarity and consistency. Few, if any, changes are made to what the regulations require of residents, (unless inconsistencies are found within the code or with other laws). but the new document will look significantly different.
Barrett Planning Group was hired to comprehensively review the bylaw and create the updated bylaw. An adhoc committee made up of Chairs from Select Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board, and Zoning Bylaw Review Committee have been meeting monthly with Barrett.
It is important to note that the zoning bylaw will not be redlined because it needs extensive reorganization, however the final document will include a “crosswalk” document that identifies how the existing content is redistributed into the new document and where any content changes might be made to ensure consistency.
Public Outreach and Interaction
Monthly Committee Meetings: 3rd Thursdays at 4pm via Zoom.
Committee members are:
- Select Board Chair – John Burrows
- Planning Board Chair & Vice Chair – Blake Robertson and Ed Giroux
- Zoning Board of Appeals Chair – Mike Pendleton
- Zoning Bylaw Review Committee Chair – Dick Colantuoni
- Building Commissioner – Mark LaLumiere
- Planning and Community Development Director – Katherine Malgieri
Background
In 2021, The Select Board goals included a zoning review and bringing the zoning bylaw up to date. In 2022, Barrett Planning reviewed the existing bylaw and prepare a document identifying the issues needing to be addressed. The “Zoning Diagnostic Report,” which identifies the areas in the Billerica Zoning Bylaw that need to be addressed and explains each issue. The report is organized into two key sections: “Part 1. Technical Analysis” and “Part 2. Policy Considerations.” The “Part 1. Technical Analysis” section identifies issues with structure, organization, and consistency and is the basis for this recodification. The “Part 2. Policy Considerations” section identifies areas where Billerica zoning has not kept pace with best practices or makes it harder for the community to encourage the kind of development it wants while allowing other types with limited regulation. Such amendments and policy changes will be considered in the future and are not within the scope of work for the recodification.