Planning Board

The Newburyport Planning Board consists of seven full and two associate members who are all volunteers appointed for three-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.