Reminder: Planning Board Has Two Additional Vacancies Due to Resignations

The Planning Board currently has two vacancies and the Town is seeking candidates for these positions. The terms of office will expire at the May, 2017 election. These two seats are due to recent resignations and are in addition to the two seats up for election. (Read more in the Metrowest Daily News “Hopkinton Planning Board being shaken up” 3/30/16.)

The Planning Board is an elected board, whose members serve five year terms. The establishment of municipal Planning Boards is authorized by Mass. General Law, Chapter 41, Section 81A. Among its many diverse roles, the Board is charged with the following duties, which are contained in the General Laws and the Hopkinton Zoning and General Bylaws:

• Adopting a Master Plan for the Town;
• Serving as the local authority for the Subdivision Control Law; adopting Rules and Regulations governing the subdivision of land in Hopkinton; reviewing all preliminary and definitive subdivision plan submittals, and endorsing approval-not-required plans;
• Drafting and submitting zoning amendments for consideration by the Town;
• Serving as a Special Permit Granting Authority;
• Reviewing and proposing the acceptance of streets as 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 walls within street rights of way on designated scenic roads; recommends roads for scenic road designation by Town Meeting.

Interested parties must be a registered voter in the Town of Hopkinton and should apply by Tuesday, May 17, 2016. 

To apply, please visit the Town’s website and apply through the online volunteer form here: http://www.hopkintonma.gov/home/about/hug. Residents may also apply by submitting a letter of interest to: Maria Glynn, Executive Assistant, Town Manager’s Office, 18 Main St. Hopkinton, MA 01748.

For further information about the duties of the Planning Board, please contact Jennifer Burke, Principal Planner, at 508-497-9745.