OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bourne Planning Board Meeting – September 8, 2025

Planning Board — Monday, September 8, 2025
BodyBourne, Massachusetts
SessionPlanning Board
DateMonday, September 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:53:58

Transcript — Verbatim
0:07

7 p.m.

0:08

on September 11th.

0:11

Which I would like to this is Liz.

0:13

I cannot see anyone.

0:14

Oh, the video's not sure.

0:34

Thank you.

0:36

Thanks, Liz.

0:45

It being Thursday, September 11th, which I would like just to take a moment to acknowledge this date.

0:58

Thank you.

1:00

We call the planning board meeting to begin.

1:06

Please note this meeting is being recorded for live broadcast and televised replay by Bourne TV.

1:12

If anyone is audio or visual recording, please acknowledge at this time.

1:18

Hello, yeah.

1:23

Thank you.

1:26

This is available through the Zoom meeting.

1:30

The meeting ID is 864-3064-6737.

1:36

And the passcode is 325-930.

1:41

You could also dial in at 1929-205-6099.

1:47

All items within the meeting are subject to deliberation and vote.

1:58

We'll start with the meeting minutes from August 28, 2025.

2:08

Second.

2:09

Motion by Jim.

2:10

Second by Dan.

2:12

Any comments?

2:16

Take a roll call vote.

2:19

Liz.

2:21

Yes.

2:21

Jim?

2:22

Yes.

2:22

Katherine?

2:23

Yes.

2:25

Dave?

2:25

Dan?

2:26

Yes.

2:26

Corinne?

2:27

Yes.

2:28

Amanda.

2:28

Amanda?

2:29

Yes.

2:30

Yes, yes.

2:31

And the chair votes yes.

2:33

Unanimous.

2:36

Yes, he'll be here.

2:42

First up on the agenda, approval not required plan.

2:46

Chapter 41, Section 81P, 190 Main Street.

2:51

Welcome, Brad.

2:52

Uh Sean, would you like to uh yes?

2:57

I've reviewed this project uh for the AR and it uh it complies with all the uh bylaws for the town of board.

3:05

Great, thank you.

3:08

Right?

3:08

All right, uh again this property is located at 190 Main Street.

3:11

Uh sorry, Brabbert's holo with JC Engineering for the record.

3:14

Uh again, the property's at 190 Main Street.

3:17

Uh it's approximately 14,000 square foot lot developed with a uh commercial hair salon in the northern portion of the property.

3:26

The lot itself has frontage on both Main Street and Holt Road.

3:31

Uh the property owner is looking to uh subdivide uh a lot off the rear of the property for future conveyance.

3:39

It's in the uh rear of the property, most southern portion of the property with frontage on Holt Road.

3:45

Uh this property is located in the in the downtown core zoning district, which allows uh lot sizes uh down to 3500 square feet.

3:56

Uh the proposed lot to be subdivided off of uh the entire lot contains uh just over 3700 square feet, has the uh required frontage.

4:06

Um both lots will meet zoning and both have access or adequate frontage to a public way.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Planning█████████████████████████████████33%
Affordable Housing████████████████████████████28%
Procedural██████████10%
Public Safety███████7%
Pending Litigation█████5%
Economic Development█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Public Engagement███3%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Bourne Planning Board Meeting – September 8, 2025

The Bourne Planning Board met on September 8, 2025, at 7:00 PM via Zoom and in-person at Town Hall. The meeting included approval of minutes, a unanimous approval of an Approval Not Required (ANR) plan, an informal discussion on a subdivision road waiver, a presentation on the MBTA Communities Act and proposed zoning amendments, and a continuation of a site plan review. All votes were recorded via roll call.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of August 28, 2025: Approved unanimously by roll call: Liz (yes), Jim (yes), Katherine (yes), Dave (yes), Dan (yes), Corinne (yes), Amanda (yes), Chair (yes).

Discussion Items

  • Approval Not Required Plan – 190 Main Street (Chapter 41, Section 81P): Brad (JC Engineering) presented for the property owner. The lot is approximately 14,000 sq. ft., developed with a hair salon, and has frontage on Main Street and Holt Road. The proposal subdivides a rear lot (approx. 3,700 sq. ft.) with frontage on Holt Road. Both lots meet zoning in the downtown core district (minimum lot size 3,500 sq. ft.). The board voted unanimously to approve the ANR plan.

  • 3, 5, and 7 Mooring Basin River Road Subdivision – Informal Discussion: Attorney John Fitch represented owners Kathy and Bob Nakashin (lots 3, 4, 5). The lots are undeveloped and served by a paper road (Mooring Basin Lane) that is blocked by a fence installed by the owner of lot 1. A Land Court case is pending. Fitch proposed two options: (1) waive road construction and merge the three lots into one, using a 17-foot-wide driveway on Wings Neck Road; (2) use River Road frontage (141 ft.) for an ANR plan, with access via a driveway on Wings Neck Road. Board members voiced concerns: emergency access confusion, historical precedent with Silver Birch/Lower Lane, rights to River Road, and potential for illusory access. The board preferred the first option (merger and waiver) to avoid River Road complications. No formal vote was taken; Fitch will return with a formal application.

  • MBTA Communities Act Presentation and Zoning Bylaw Amendments:

    • Will Radigan (Citizens Housing and Planning Association) presented on the state law requiring MBTA-adjacent communities to allow multifamily housing by right. Bourne, as an “adjacent small town,” must designate at least 37 acres for multifamily housing at a minimum of 15 units per acre. He explained the housing affordability crisis, the need for “missing middle” housing, and that the law is constitutional and mandatory. He noted that the fiscal impact of new multifamily housing is positive (tax revenues exceed service costs) and that school enrollment is unlikely to increase significantly.
    • Jen (Planning Department) presented Bourne’s proposed Multifamily Overlay District (MFOD) in the downtown Buzzards Bay area, consisting of two non-contiguous areas (Area 1: 34.4 acres, Area 2: 10.8 acres, total 45.2 acres). The gross density is 25 units per acre, but net density after excluding non-developable parcels is 16.6 units per acre. The bylaw changes include: allowing multifamily (3+ units) and two-family dwellings by right (instead of special permit), reducing parking from 1.5 spaces per unit to 1 space per unit, and requiring 10% affordable units. The board discussed concerns about the 25 units/acre figure, infrastructure capacity, and potential for short-term rentals. The public hearing is scheduled for Monday, September 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM.

  • Site Plan Review 509A – 0 Ernest Fillary Road (Continued): Nathan Collins (NextGrid) provided an update on the related 665 Scenic Highway solar array. He reported that after a fire and cease-and-desist order in 2024, the site has been largely remediated: a new retaining wall built to engineered standards, gravel drive improved, fire alarm system installed, and emergency response plan approved by the Bourne Fire Department. Remaining items: final inspection of the fire alarm system (two faulty aerosol canisters being replaced) and final commissioning by the battery manufacturer. The board asked about ongoing maintenance and responsibility post-sale; Collins clarified that NextGrid keeps the land, Madison Energy owns the array, and contact information is on-site. The board voted unanimously to continue the site plan review to September 25, 2025.

Key Outcomes

  • Approval Not Required plan (190 Main Street): Approved unanimously.
  • Mooring Basin Subdivision: Informal discussion; no vote. Attorney Fitch will submit a formal request for a road construction waiver and lot merger.
  • MBTA Communities Act: No vote. The public hearing is set for September 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM, followed by the Finance Committee at 7:00 PM.
  • Site Plan Review 509A (0 Ernest Fillary Road): Continued to September 25, 2025, by unanimous vote.

Meeting Transcript

7 p.m. on September 11th. Which I would like to this is Liz. I cannot see anyone. Oh, the video's not sure. Thank you. Thanks, Liz. It being Thursday, September 11th, which I would like just to take a moment to acknowledge this date. Thank you. We call the planning board meeting to begin. Please note this meeting is being recorded for live broadcast and televised replay by Bourne TV. If anyone is audio or visual recording, please acknowledge at this time. Hello, yeah. Thank you. This is available through the Zoom meeting. The meeting ID is 864-3064-6737. And the passcode is 325-930. You could also dial in at 1929-205-6099. All items within the meeting are subject to deliberation and vote. We'll start with the meeting minutes from August 28, 2025. Second. Motion by Jim. Second by Dan. Any comments? Take a roll call vote. Liz. Yes. Jim? Yes. Katherine? Yes. Dave? Dan? Yes. Corinne? Yes. Amanda. Amanda? Yes. Yes, yes. And the chair votes yes. Unanimous. Yes, he'll be here. First up on the agenda, approval not required plan. Chapter 41, Section 81P, 190 Main Street. Welcome, Brad. Uh Sean, would you like to uh yes? I've reviewed this project uh for the AR and it uh it complies with all the uh bylaws for the town of board. Great, thank you. Right?

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