The Carver Select Board approved with 4 votes and 1 abstention a motion to recommend the 40R Smart Growth zoning article at Special Town Meeting in December.
The board’s support comes as the town is set to mull a proposal to create the dense residential and commercial zoning district behind the Nouria gas station in North Carver.
There is a current plan to develop 240 housing units and have a retail component at the North Carver site, according to Town Planner Sean Lewis. Voters are deciding solely on the zoning, not on the specifics of the development plan.
If approved, the 40R zoning would bring Carver into compliance with the state’s MBTA Communities Act. Earlier this year, Carver was sued and missed out on a $24,000 school grant for being out of compliance with the law.
Select Board Chair Mark Townsend said historically, the Select Board has opted not to officially weigh in on Planning Board articles. According to Townsend, the Select Board hasn’t been at all the public meetings and discussions on the 40R proposal. However, several board members spoke about the importance of the article. Townsend ultimately voted in favor of recommending the proposed zoning, alongside Board members John Cotter, Dan Ryan and Jim Elliman.
The one abstention was Select Board member Sarah Hewins. She said the board should let the voters decide, keeping with the tradition of not voting on Planning Board articles.
“Town Meeting’s pretty smart,” Hewins said. “I think they can make up their own minds.”
Previous zoning decisions have been contentious. In October last year, voters overwhelmingly rejected a zoning plan reluctantly approved by the Planning Board to zone for multifamily housing on West Street. Now, voters will consider another MBTA-related proposal for a dense zoning district — this time in North Carver.
Elliman called the 40R decision an important one.
“I think there’s a lot riding on putting this in motion, and putting it in motion in a way that we have the ability to be involved in it, versus somebody just putting the thing up and we live with it afterwards,” he said.
In May, Planning Board members raised concerns that an alternative would be 40B development, which would allow a developer to override Carver’s zoning restrictions to build affordable housing. A 40R zoning plan would give Carver control over where a development can be placed and provides the town with financial incentives.
Should the proposed zoning pass at the Special Town Meeting, Carver could receive up to $1.2 million in incentive payments from the state, according to Lewis.
The proposal is now headed to a public vote at Special Town Meeting, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1 in the Carver Middle High School Auditorium.
Contact Editor-in-Chief Nick Mossman at nick@carverjournal.com
