Planning Board Mulling Rule Change For Downtown Development

MANSFIELD, MA — Over at the train station, One Mansfield stands nears the tracks. Nearby, Rumford 214 greets drivers entering the downtown area on Chauncy Street and soon to be built is another large mixed-use project near the intersection of Chauncy and North Main streets. Following these three projects, the planning board is exploring ways to add more control over new developments.

Changes to the North Main Street Business Overlay District could be considered at November's Special Town Meeting, according to the Mansfield News. The district was designed to encourage development but following the large projects, board members are now exploring the possibility of reeling it in a bit.

The board is considering changing a rule that allows mixed-used developments by right, but Town Planner Shaub Burke proposed to the board that developments with under 50 units go through site plan approval and those with 50 or more require a special permit. Board members also discussed dropping the maximum size without a special permit to 10.

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Image Credit: Dan Libon/Patch