 How often does the Community Planning Commission meet?
The Community Planning Commission for the Town of North Reading meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The schedule is set in January of each year. Click here for a copy of the meeting schedule.
Click here for Community Planning Commission meeting minutes. (Minutes are available for one year on line. If you have a request for any minutes beyond that time, contact the office either by telephone or e-mail).
 How can I see copies of meeting minutes?
Minutes are made available to the public only when they have been officially approved by the Community Planning Commission. In most cases the minutes from one meeting are approved at the next meeting. The only exception would be if the clerk or acting clerk were unavailable at that meeting for a signature.
Click here for Community Planning Commission meeting minutes. (Minutes are available for one year on line. If you have a request for any minutes beyond that time, contact the office either by telephone or e-mail).
 How often will an abutter get a certified mail notification of a Public Community Planning Commission Meeting?
Abutters are notified ONLY ONCE in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 40A, Section 11 fourteen (14) days prior to the first public hearing. If a hearing requires a second, third, or subsequent public hearings, an abutter must have either attended the original public hearing to find out the next date and time the public hearing has been continued to, or contact the Planning Department to find out this information.
 How do I know if my land is subdividable?
Dimensional requirements for land in the Town of North Reading are governed by the Towns’ Zoning Bylaw. You must first determine whether you have sufficient land to meet the applicable requirements. Contact a local surveyor or engineer who can determine the best way to subdivide and whether or not your property would meet the requirements of the Subdivision Rules and Regulations. Click here to review a copy of the most recent rules and regulations.
 Will a subdivision plan get approved or denied at the first public hearing?
A typical subdivision will be reviewed over the course of 2 to 3 public meetings. This permits the Community Planning Commission and Conservation Commission ample time review the plans, conduct a site walk, involve the towns engineering firm to review for zoning and ordinance compliance and hear abutter and general public concerns before taking a final vote.
 Does a subdivision plan always require a public hearing?
A public hearing will be held for any preliminary or definitive subdivision plan. Abutters within three hundred (300) feet of the land being subdivided will be notified. The requirement states that the notification will go to the abutters who owned the property as of January 1 of that year.
 What is an “Approval Not Required” plan?
Most subdivisions involve multiple lots on a larger parcel of land with the construction of a roadway. In some cases, single lots can be carved out of a larger lot or there can be a land swap between neighbors that does not require a full subdivision plan because the lots will meet all of the dimensional requirements of the current zoning as it applied to frontage requirements. In that case the term “approval not required” actually means “approval not required under the Subdivision Control Law.” In that instance the Community Planning Commission reviews the plan to insure that the plan meets three standards:
The lots shown on the plan must front on one of three types of ways as specified in Chapter 41, Section 81L, MGL
The lots shown on the plan must meet the minimum frontage requirements as specified in Chapter 41, Section 81L MGL; and
The Community Planning Commission’s determination that the vital access to the lots as comtemplated by Chapter 41, Section 81L, MGL.otherwise exist.
 How long does it take for the Community Planning Commission to make a decision on an Approval Not Required Plan?
M.G.L Chapter 41, Section 81P requires the Commission to make a decision within 21 days from the date of filing the application with the Town Clerk. Public Hearings are not required by State Statute for an Approval Not Required Plan, however, you may have received a “Courtesy Notice” informing you of an ANR proposal near the proximity of your property. The CPC sends out these notices because although not required by law, we feel strongly it is a courtesy due to abutters. It is highly likely a decision will be made the evening specified that the ANR plan will be considered at the CPC. Unlike subdivision plans, these types of plans can only be either approved or denied without conditions and no extensions of time to render a decision
beyond the 21 day time frame is allowed under state statute
 What can I do as an abutter to stop a development from going in?
Every landowner has a constitutional right allowing them to develop the land that they own. The Planning Department must work within the specific Federal, State and Town regulations that address growth controls and act accordingly within that law. An abutter has several opportunities during the Public Hearing process to voice concerns about a given subdivision that may alter the final design or decision.
When does the public get to voice their position on a subdivision plan or development proposal?
Public input occurs during Public Hearings for the Community Planning Commission and during the site walks as noted above. The Commission may review the proposed plan over the course of several Public Hearings. If you are unable to attend a Public Hearing, consider writing a letter to the Community Planning Director prior to the meeting. The Community Planning Commission Clerk will read your letter aloud into the record.
 As an abutter, what kind of information is the Community Planning Commission interested in hearing about?
As an abutter, the Community Planning Commission is interested in hearing your favorable or opposing views, alternative plan options, and questions on issues with respect to the property under development. Often the best alternative plans come from abutters who understand the area, and what will and won’t work in a given area.
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