Planning Board – Did You Know?
A board of nine members, elected for five-year terms on a rotating basis. The Planning Board is charged with the following duties, which are contained in the Mass. General Laws and the Hopkinton Zoning and General Bylaws:
- Adopting a Master Plan for the Town. The current Master Plan was adopted in 2007.
- Conducting studies, and, when necessary, preparing plans of the resources, possibilities and needs of the Town for submittal to the Board of Selectmen for their consideration.
- Serving as the local authority for the Subdivision Control Law; adopting Rules and Regulations governing the subdivision of land in the Town of Hopkinton ; reviewing all preliminary and definitive plan submittals, and endorsing approval-not-required plans.
- Drafting and submitting zoning amendments for consideration by the Town. When a zoning amendment has been put forward by any entity, the Planning Board holds the public hearing and also reports its recommendation to Town Meeting.
- Serving, in some instances, as the Special Permit Granting Authority (SPGA). The Planning Board is charged with issuing the following Special Permits in the Hopkinton Zoning Bylaw: Open Space and Landscape Preservation Development; Garden Apartments in Residential Districts; Senior Housing Developments; Flexible Community Development and Campus Style Development.
- Reviewing and proposing the acceptance of streets as Town public ways, with recommendation to the Town Meeting.
- Serving as Site Plan Review authority for non-residential Site Plans.
- Issuing permits to remove trees and stone wall within street rights of way designated as scenic roads by Town Meeting. The Planning Board also recommends roads for scenic road designation.
- Issuing permits for earth removal within the Town of Hopkinton .
- Annually appoints the members of the Design Review Board.
Planning Board representatives also serve on the following other Boards and Committees: Open Space Preservation Commission, Community Preservation Committee, Design Review Board, and Zoning Advisory Committee.
The Planning Board typically meets on Mondays twice a month in Town Hall at 7:30 PM. The Planning Board’s staff services are provided by the Department of Land Use, Planning and Permitting.
To run for Planning Board a person must be a registered voter in Hopkinton and either obtain and submit nomination papers by securing the signatures of 50 Hopkinton registered voters; or a person may qualify by being the top vote getter in one of the town political party caucuses; or a combination of both. Planning Board member is currently an unpaid volunteer position, but compensation for any elected official could be voted on at any future town meeting.
Contact Info:
- 508-497-9745
- Planning Board Webpage