Planning Board

The Planning Board is an elected town board of five members, each with a five year term. The Board operates under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A and Chapter 41.

The purpose of the Planning Board is to guide the development of the Town in the best interests of all its residents. The Board has very specific responsibilities and authorities as granted by Massachusetts General Laws and the Zoning By-Laws of the Town of Plympton.

The Zoning By-Laws of the Town have evolved over the years in an effort to maintain the unique character of Plympton. The By-Laws provide for the acceptable uses (Residential, Commercial, etc) within various land areas or “Zones” within the town as well as setting forth such items as the size of lots, required street frontage, and design and location elements for various types of structures within those zones. The Board on an ongoing basis reviews the Town’s Zoning By-Laws and makes recommendations for changes to keep the By-Laws current in terms of the Town’s present state of development.

Any requests for Zoning By-Law changes or amendments are also reviewed by the Board. Public hearings are held to allow input from any abutters or other interested citizens. The Board is required to provide a recommendation on any Zoning By-Law amendment at Town Meeting, where a two-thirds vote is required to approve the change.

The Planning Board is responsible for the review and approval of all subdivisions (the division of a tract of land into two or more lots). The Board oversees a comprehensive process involving review by relevant regulatory agencies, public hearings, covenants with developers, performance bonding, and ongoing compliance monitoring.

The Planning Board serves as a resource to assist interested individuals with the process of proposing plans or projects under the Zoning By-Laws. Communications are maintained on an ongoing basis with related Town agencies including the Zoning Board of Appeals and other groups within the Town. The Planning Board holds regularly scheduled meetings each month. All meetings are open to the public and we welcome your input. Meeting notices can be found on the Plympton home page on the Town Calendar.

If anyone would like to submit a filing to the Planning Board or discuss an application, please attend a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board.  The Board holds meetings at least once, and often twice per month; on the homepage of this website, please click on the Calendar for specific dates and times as meetings are posted.  Meetings take place at the Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Road, Plympton, MA 02367.

 

NameTitle
Ann Sobolewski

Chair

Jay Cohen
Paul J. D'Angelo
John Schmid