The Town of Blackstone Planning Board voted to place a proposed change to land-disturbance and timing language on its February agenda and agreed to expand procedural notifications to include public-safety agencies.

Board members debated increasing the time allowed for the planning board to act on applications. Gino Carucci, the board’s consultant, noted the existing bylaw already sets a 45-day action period; members recommended increasing review windows to give applicants and the board more time when additional information is required. The board agreed to discuss a specific replacement timeframe at a future meeting and to advertise any bylaw changes as part of the town meeting warrant process if the board proposes an amendment.

Separately, the board voted to add the police department and public-safety contacts to the circulation list for land-disturbance and stormwater-related reviews so police and fire can be aware of active construction or opened sites. The motion passed on a roll call with Owen, Kirk, Joe Bellrose and the chair recorded as voting yes.

The board instructed staff to place the land-disturbance timing discussion on the February agenda, to gather comparative timelines for special permits and subdivisions, and to prepare any necessary bylaw language for later consideration. The board also agreed to consolidate multiple proposed bylaw changes into a single advertisement for the town meeting warrant so they can be considered together.