Board votes to delay zoning rewrite to spring
The Wareham Planning Board voted unanimously to delay its zoning bylaw recodification from fall to spring town meeting, citing state budget-bill changes to Chapter 40A effective July 1.
Planning Board · Meeting of August 10, 2026
WAREHAM — The Wareham Planning Board voted unanimously to delay its zoning bylaw recodification from fall to spring town meeting, citing state budget-bill changes to Chapter 40A effective July 1. Consultant Judy Barrett of the Barrett Planning Group said Attorney General's office reviewers called the amendments "seismic changes" affecting variances, nonconforming lots and permit vesting periods, and warned a fall vote could conflict with pending duplex-by-right and "Yes in God's Backyard" legislation. The board, chaired by Jane Gleason, also voted 4-0 to require a complete, updated plan set for the court-settled Fearing Hill Road solar project and scheduled a September 14 public hearing limited to confirming compliance, ahead of a court-imposed September 17 reporting deadline.
Attorney Rich Bowen said the appeals court shifted "the burden of proof" against municipalities denying solar projects. Member Carl Schulz said moving the zoning draft forward now "would be a disservice to the town."
In the full story:
- Who Was There
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Source: the Planning Board meeting of August 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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