The Newburyport Planning Board is a nine-member board of volunteers appointed for five-year terms by the Mayor. Members must be residents of the City. Membership is based on experience or interest in the field of planning and zoning and whenever possible includes: an architect or landscape architect, an engineer, a realtor or developer, an affordable housing specialist, an environmentalist and an attorney. Members normally meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Newburyport City Hall. Five members must be present to open the
meeting.

The Planning Board considers land subdivision and zoning proposals; Approval Not Required (ANR) applications that generally consist of proposed lot line changes, Site Plan Review applications and proposed changes to elements of the City's master plan. In its deliberation the Board actively supports smart growth objectives and the goals of the City’s Master Plan. The Board holds public hearings, as required, on these applications and makes recommendations through the Mayor's Office to the City Council for its consideration and legislative action. Some members of the Board, working through the Planning Office, lead and/or participate on various committees related to city planning. Recent examples include the Strategic Land Use Plan, Waterfront Strategic Plan, and the CPA Application Committee. In addition, one member of the Planning Board represents the City on the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission.

Links:

MA Planning Association (MAPA)

Citzens Planning and Training Collaborative (CTPC)

Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC)

Smart Growth Toolkit

Planetizen

Frequently Asked Questions: Coming Soon!