Final Zoning Bylaw Public Input Session Pre-Town Meeting Jan. 18

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury Zoning Bylaw Committee is holding a final public forum Jan. 18 as it seeks public input on its proposed rewrite of the town's zoning bylaws.

The committee plans to bring a proposal for a vote at the 2022 annual town meeting and wants to discuss any resident concerns, it said.

The forum will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Main Hall at Tewksbury Town Hall, 1009 Main Street.

"For the Committee to evaluate concerns of the proposed zoning bylaw, it is beneficial to have specific references to the proposed zoning bylaw which present issues," the committee said. "Specific references will add to a more meaningful dialogue in this effort to correct the problems that exist in the current zoning bylaw."

The committee was created in 2015 by the Board of Selectmen to work with consultants and cohesively update the town's zoning rules. The bylaws have been amended over 100 times since the most recent rewrite in 2002.

A version of the bylaw rewrite and zoning map redraw went before the 2021 annual town meeting in May, but narrowly failed to win the 2/3rds of the vote required for zoning articles.

Some opponents of the rewrite complained that there was not enough communication about the proposal, although proponents noted they held dozens of meetings.

The final drafts of the proposed zoning bylaws and map are available here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.