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The
establishment of municipal Planning Boards is authorized by
Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 41, Section 81A. Among its
many diverse roles, the Planning Board is charged with the
following duties, which are contained in the Mass. General Laws
and the Hopkinton Zoning and General Bylaws:
- Adopting a Master Plan for the Town. The current Master Plan was
adopted in 2007.
- Conducting studies, and, when necessary, preparing plans of the
resources, possibilities and needs of the Town for submittal
to the Board of Selectmen for their consideration.
- Serving as the local authority for the Subdivision Control Law;
adopting Rules and Regulations governing the subdivision of
land in the Town of
Hopkinton
; reviewing all preliminary and definitive plan submittals,
and endorsing approval-not-required plans.
- Drafting and submitting zoning amendments for consideration by the
Town. When a zoning amendment has been put forward by any
entity, the Planning Board holds the public hearing and also
reports its recommendation to Town Meeting.
- Serving, in some instances, as the Special Permit Granting Authority
(SPGA). The Planning Board is charged with issuing the
following Special Permits in the Hopkinton Zoning Bylaw:
Open Space and Landscape Preservation Development; Garden
Apartments in Residential Districts; Senior Housing
Developments; Flexible Community Development and Campus
Style Development.
- Reviewing and proposing the acceptance of streets as Town public
ways, with recommendation to the Town Meeting.
- Serving as Site Plan Review authority for non-residential Site
Plans. For more information, consult Article XX of the
Zoning Bylaw.
- Issuing permits to remove trees and stone wall within street rights
of way designated as scenic roads by Town Meeting. The
Planning Board also recommends roads for scenic road
designation. For more information about scenic roads, see
Chapter 160 of the Bylaws of the Town of
Hopkinton
.
- Issuing permits for earth removal within the Town of
Hopkinton
. For more information, see Chapter 96 of the Bylaws of the
Town of
Hopkinton
.
- Annually appoints the members of the Design Review Board.
Planning
Board representatives also serve on the following other Boards
and Committees: Open Space Preservation Commission, Community
Preservation Commission, Housing Committee, Design Review Board,
Zoning Advisory Committee.
The Planning Board staff provides support to the Planning Board,
Design Review Board, Zoning Advisory Committee, Community
Preservation Committee and Open Space Preservation Commission,
and Conservation Commission.
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Town of Hopkinton
Master Plan 2007