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Record of Proceedings

Bourne Planning Board Meeting - February 12, 2026: Zoning Bylaw Amendments Discussion

Planning Board — Thursday, February 12, 2026
BodyBourne, Massachusetts
SessionPlanning Board
DateThursday, February 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:04:03

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:06

Okay, it being seven o'clock on Thursday, February 12th, 2026.

0:13

The Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Building in Buzzards Bay.

0:17

We will call the planning board meeting to begin.

0:24

This meeting is being recorded for live broadcast and televised replay by Bourne TV.

0:28

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

0:34

Seeing hearing none.

0:36

All items within the agenda of the meeting agenda are subject to deliberation and votes.

0:48

Mr.

0:48

Chair, I'll make a motion that we accept the meetings as printed.

0:52

You have a motion to accept them as printed.

0:54

Do we have a second?

0:56

Second by Doc.

0:58

Any questions or okay?

1:03

Um take a vote.

1:05

Corinne.

1:07

Abstain.

1:09

Jim?

1:10

Yes.

1:10

I don't think I was there.

1:12

Okay.

1:13

Your work.

1:14

Yes.

1:15

Doc?

1:16

Yes.

1:16

Mandy?

1:17

Yes.

1:18

And chair votes yes.

1:20

Thank you.

1:23

Next up on our agenda is request for lot release.

1:28

Two Henry Drive, lot number eight, map 35, parcel 142.

1:34

And for Henry Drive lot number six, map 35, parcel 144.

1:39

Does staff have a uh comment on this?

1:44

Uh these are older, this is an older subdivision.

1:47

Um we believe the lot release was already done, but uh was never recorded, so this is just a re-release.

1:55

Okay.

1:55

So good.

1:57

Does anybody on the board have any questions about that?

2:02

All right.

2:03

We'll pass around for members to sign.

2:06

I was supposed to say I have one here, or are there multiples around?

2:10

I have one too.

2:11

Okay, great.

2:12

Okay, so we have more than we need, basically.

2:15

Right.

2:15

Yes, we will uh you're gonna pass that around.

2:18

Yep.

2:18

Okay, so we don't need to use ours.

2:22

Well, okay, pass around.

2:26

Okay.

2:26

All right.

2:27

Do we have a motion to release?

2:30

I'll make a motion to release.

2:31

Second.

2:31

Jim motion, Liz second.

2:33

Any questions?

2:35

Go to a vote.

2:36

Corinne?

2:37

Yes.

2:38

Jim?

2:39

Yes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Planning█████████████████████████████████████████████57%
Affordable Housing████████████████████████████36%
Procedural██████7%
Summary of Proceedings

Bourne Planning Board Meeting - February 12, 2026

The Bourne Planning Board met on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Building in Buzzards Bay. The board approved routine agenda items and engaged in extensive discussions on proposed zoning bylaw amendments for the 2026 Annual Town Meeting, including the Seasonal Communities designation, tiny homes, undersized lots, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and downtown district setback adjustments.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: Motion to accept the meeting minutes as printed carried (Corinne abstained, others voted yes).
  • Lot Release — Two Henry Drive: Lots 8 and 6 (Map 35, Parcels 142 and 144) were authorized for release; motion carried unanimously.
  • Approval Not Required (ANR) Plan — Clay Pond Road: Staff confirmed the plan conforms to regulations; motion to proceed carried unanimously.

Discussion Items

Seasonal Communities Designation, Tiny Homes, and Undersized Lots

  • Staff Presentation: Zach Basinski, professional engineer, noted that tiny homes on movable trailers would be classified as RVs under FEMA regulations, limiting occupancy to 180 days in floodplains. Building codes require permanent foundations for floodplain compliance.
  • Board Positions: Members expressed strong opposition to wheeled tiny homes, favoring permanent foundations to avoid a "transitory" appearance and to align with existing zoning expectations for year-round dwellings. The board also raised concerns about:
    • State requirements for undersized lots (20 ft frontage, setbacks of 10–15 ft) and economic feasibility of tiny homes on such lots.
    • Confusion between affordable and attainable lot definitions.
    • Potential public backlash; members (Corinne, Jim, Doc, Liz, Mandy) agreed the proposal is not ready for Town Meeting.
  • Grant Funding: $175,000 is available this year through the Seasonal Communities program, but the board noted the Finance Committee rejected the associated tax exemption option. The grant pool now includes 42 communities, reducing each share.
  • Outcome: The board decided to postpone submitting a tiny home/undersized lot article to the 2026 Town Meeting. They will continue discussions, conduct public outreach, and consider educational materials for future sessions.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

  • Proposed Changes: Staff (Sean) presented bylaw amendments to align with updated state regulations, including:
    • Removing the “no more than two bedrooms” restriction.
    • Allowing ADUs larger than 50% of the principal dwelling (up to 1,500 sq ft) via a supportive finding from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).
    • Clarifying definitions of gross floor area (GFA) for ADU purposes.
  • Board Feedback: Members questioned whether the ZBA finding requirement could be replaced by a special permit from the Planning Board; staff noted ADUs must be allowed by right. The board agreed to seek legal counsel’s opinion on procedural options.
  • Definition Issues: The board discussed conflicts between ADU GFA definitions and the existing maximum gross floor area (GFA) for non-conforming lots. Members suggested revising the maximum GFA definition to exclude porches and sheds consistently, or replacing it with a lot coverage standard.
  • Outcome: The board will refine the ADU bylaw language, address definitional inconsistencies, and consult with town counsel before presenting to Town Meeting.

Downtown District Setback (Section 2831)

  • Proposal: Allow building setbacks of up to 30 ft (instead of 15 ft) for properties not fronting primary streets in the downtown district. This would also accommodate required parking stall lengths (15 ft 6 in).
  • Discussion: The change is intended to address residential areas where the existing setback is impractical; it does not stem from state requirements. A map showed the affected parcels.
  • Outcome: The board will consider this amendment further; no action was taken.

Key Outcomes

  • Routine Approvals: Minutes, lot release, and ANR plan approved.
  • Seasonal Communities/Tiny Homes: Postponed; further study and public outreach planned.
  • ADU Bylaw: Ongoing refinement, with legal review of ZBA process and GFA definitions.
  • Downtown Setback: Continued discussion; no vote taken.
  • Adjournment: Motion carried unanimously at the conclusion of the meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, it being seven o'clock on Thursday, February 12th, 2026. The Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Building in Buzzards Bay. We will call the planning board meeting to begin. This meeting is being recorded for live broadcast and televised replay by Bourne TV. If anyone is audio or video recording, please acknowledge at this time. Seeing hearing none. All items within the agenda of the meeting agenda are subject to deliberation and votes. Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion that we accept the meetings as printed. You have a motion to accept them as printed. Do we have a second? Second by Doc. Any questions or okay? Um take a vote. Corinne. Abstain. Jim? Yes. I don't think I was there. Okay. Your work. Yes. Doc? Yes. Mandy? Yes. And chair votes yes. Thank you. Next up on our agenda is request for lot release. Two Henry Drive, lot number eight, map 35, parcel 142. And for Henry Drive lot number six, map 35, parcel 144. Does staff have a uh comment on this? Uh these are older, this is an older subdivision. Um we believe the lot release was already done, but uh was never recorded, so this is just a re-release. Okay. So good. Does anybody on the board have any questions about that? All right. We'll pass around for members to sign. I was supposed to say I have one here, or are there multiples around? I have one too. Okay, great. Okay, so we have more than we need, basically. Right. Yes, we will uh you're gonna pass that around. Yep. Okay, so we don't need to use ours. Well, okay, pass around. Okay. All right.

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