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.
Proposed Zoning Changes
In early June, the Planning Board submitted amendments related to Sections II and VI of the Newburyport Zoning Ordinance for consideration by the City Council. The Council referred the matter to its Planning and Development Committee and the Planning Board for a joint public hearing on June 16th and then recommended the amendment below for adoption.
Projects currently before the Planning Board
Dr. Douglas and Debra Wine - 223 High Street. Public hearing continued to September 15, 2010.
Links:
MA Planning Association (MAPA)
Citizens Planning and Training Collaborative (CPTC)
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC)
Smart Growth Toolkit
Planetizen |