Planning Board continues Preserve at Essex subdivision review
Essex Planning Board continues Preserve at Essex hearing, approves garage siting. During the third session of the public hearing on the proposed 36-lot Open Space Residential Development, Town Counsel Amy Kwessel clarified that the Planning Board's authority in subdivision control is limited to
Planning Board · Meeting of April 1, 2026
Essex Planning Board continues Preserve at Essex hearing, approves garage siting. During the third session of the public hearing on the proposed 36-lot Open Space Residential Development, Town Counsel Amy Kwessel clarified that the Planning Board's authority in subdivision control is limited to infrastructure review; the board cannot deny single-family construction, cannot require affordable housing, and cannot consider potential impacts on schools or municipal services. The board approved siting of a new garage at 63 Southern Avenue by majority vote, with Shelly Bradbury abstaining.
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Source: the Planning Board meeting of April 1, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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