Winchester Planning Board 11-10-26

The Winchester Planning Board met on November 10, 2026. The board discussed upcoming zoning bylaw work, including revisions to sections 3.5 and 6.4, with a goal of bringing proposals to a public hearing by mid-February and potentially to Spring Town Meeting. Members supported forming temporary subcommittees and obtaining staff input; no procurement award or contract approval was made. The board also discussed its upcoming budget submission, including a possible increase to the professional services line for one-off legal services. The budget is expected to be reviewed at the December 1 meeting; no amount or final approval was reported. Staffing vacancies and the possibility of a lower-salary project coordinator role were also discussed.

A member reported that the Affordable Housing Trust voted to increase its loan to the Waterfield development by $75,000, bringing the loan to $575,000 at 5% interest; the loan term was described uncertainly as either 30 or 50 years. The additional local support is intended to help close the project’s funding gap and support consideration of further state funding from EOHLC. This was reported as an Affordable Housing Trust action, not a Planning Board vote. The transcript identified no Planning Board contract awards or bid approvals.