The Master Plan Implementation Committee voted to approve and send a memorandum to the Planning Board asking the Planning Board to consider updating Northborough’s housing production plan and to review selected housing goals in the master plan.

MPIC member Jean (Jean Kennedy) moved to approve the letter; the motion was seconded and the committee voted with a majority in favor and one abstention. Chair Rick Leaf announced the vote outcome as “majority votes in favor with 1 abstention.” Amy Paretsky said she would abstain because she is on the Planning Board. Committee members asked Laurie to make a minor edit to note that the full housing chapter of the master plan is attached and then to circulate the final memo to Jean and Amy for a last review before sending it to the Planning Board.

Why it matters: The last townwide housing production plan was completed in 2012, and MPIC members said updated analysis could provide current data on housing stock, affordability, infrastructure needs (sewer, water), population trends and the potential effect of state housing regulations. MPIC members noted the scope described in a CMRPC proposal previously circulated to MPIC, and Laurie said a third-party scope for a housing production plan is likely to be in the neighborhood of $25,000.

Members discussed state regulatory changes. Laurie summarized recent state guidance on lot merging and said the town is preparing a zoning amendment: under current state rules referenced by Laurie, lots held in common can lose their separate status after a five-year period unless certain conditions are met; Laurie said the draft town proposal would add caveats (for example, 50% uplands, public water and sewer service and permanent deed-restriction for affordable units) when implementing the state’s merger accommodation. Laurie said the Planning Board will hold a public hearing in mid-February to consider proposed zoning amendments tied to state housing law.

MPIC members agreed the memo is intended to prompt Planning Board review and dialogue, not to mandate a timeline. The committee directed Laurie to finalize the memo, incorporate the suggested wording about attaching the housing chapter, and then forward it to the Planning Board via the Town Administrator; MPIC members said they expect the Planning Board to determine its own schedule for any subsequent work.