Planning Board

The Newburyport Planning Board is a seven-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 architects or landscape architects, engineers, Realtors or developers, affordable housing specialists, environmentalists, and attorneys.

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 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. Some examples include the Strategic Land Use Plan, Waterfront Strategic Plan, and the CPA Committee.

Please submit comments to the Board to planning@cityofnewburyport.com.

Staff Contacts

Name Title Phone
Andy Port Planning Director (978) 465-4400 ext 5
Katelyn Sullivan Planner (978) 465-4400 ext 2

Board Members

Name Title
Rick Taintor Chair
Elisabeth DeLisle Member
Alden Clark Secretary
Robert Koup Member
Heather Rogers Member
Jamie Pennington Member
Charles Palmisano Vice-Chair
Brian Balcom Associate
Jennifer Bluestein Associate