The Northborough Planning Board discussed a March 4, 2025 letter from the Master Plan Implementation Committee that highlights housing goals and asked members to review the master plan housing chapter and a 2012 housing production plan before deciding which goals the board will pursue.

Rick Leaf of the Master Plan Implementation Committee had circulated a memo calling attention to several master‑plan housing goals (items labeled H1‑3, H2‑1, H2‑4, H2‑6 and H3‑1 in the memo). Planning staff said the housing chapter and the 2012 housing production plan will be provided to board members; staff noted the master‑plan link on the town website was broken and that staff would either repair the link or circulate scanned copies while web support is out sick.

Board members asked for more information on senior housing demand and on the likely impacts of housing changes on town services and infrastructure. Staff suggested a consultant study would be required for an up‑to‑date cost‑of‑community‑services analysis and said she had sought a CMRPC quote to update the housing production plan (an earlier scope had been about $25,000). Board members asked staff to forward notes from prior discussions with Rick Leaf and the Council on Aging representative, Fran Baxter, and to circulate the housing chapter and the 2012 plan prior to the next meeting.

Why it matters: decisions about whether to pursue specific housing goals will shape future zoning proposals and town planning priorities and could have implications for municipal services, affordable‑housing targets and senior housing options.

The board did not make a final decision at the March 4 meeting and asked staff to provide the documents and to place the topic on the March 18 agenda for further review.