Winchester Planning Board 11-10-26

The Winchester Planning Board meeting on November 10, 2026, continued the 910 Main Street hearing to December 1, 2026; the motion passed. The board discussed zoning bylaw revisions, including work on sections 3.5 and 6.4, and a possible subcommittee to develop recommendations for a public hearing by mid-February. The board also discussed forming a design committee for a development project, with two Planning Board members and two members from DCR contemplated; no appointment vote was reported. The assistant town planner position will remain in the budget, though filling it is not considered urgent; a project coordinator role was discussed as a possible alternative amid engineering vacancies.

Budget preparation is underway, and the board plans to vote on its budget at the December 1 meeting. Members discussed increasing the professional services line to provide room for legal review of zoning bylaws, but no amount or contract award was identified. In an affordable housing update, the Affordable Housing Trust voted to add $75,000 to its Waterfield project loan, bringing the loan to $575,000 at 5% interest, to help close a development funding gap and support the project’s request for additional state funding. The loan term was not confirmed in the discussion.