Planning Board, Selectmen Adopt First Housing Production Plan
Planning Board · Meeting of January 21, 2026
Essex adopts first Housing Production Plan to address affordable housing shortage. The Planning Board and Board of Selectmen unanimously approved "Welcome Home, Essex" on January 21 after incorporating nine revisions from board members, including corrections to terminology, parking-strategy language, and property-outreach provisions. Chair Lisa O'Donnell and Town Planner Valerie Massard oversaw the final document, which targets 22 strategies and eight affordable units annually to move Essex from 2.58 percent to 10 percent of its housing stock designated as affordable.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 395 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of January 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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