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Date: 11/9/2022
WARE – The Ware Planning Board made “no recommendation” regarding the Special Town Meeting article on the Rural Overlay District along the Route 9 corridor.
A public hearing took place during the Nov. 3 Planning Board meeting, regarding amendments to sections 3.4, Overlay Districts and 4.9, Overlay District Regulations of the town of Ware Zoning Bylaws.
Rob Watchilla, director of planning and community development, explained that an overlay district would encompass all the parcels are currently in the Rural Residential Zoning District in town. The district, as presented, essentially would rest on top of that existing district. He said the district was based on a former district known as the “Residential Business 2” district which used to allow for light commercial and industry uses. “A lot of those former uses were incorporated into this geographical area and some of the parcels existed in that district previously that led to this design,” said Watchilla.
He noted that this area is mostly dominated by agricultural land. He added that the average size of land is less than five acres. All the changes and regulations incorporated in the district would only apply to acres greater than five acres in size, which the majority are not.
Watchilla explained that the purpose of this district is to preserve the scenic, rural character of the Route 9 corridor while allowing for commercial development. “This district allows for the potential economic development while minimizing the impacts [of] the rural character of the corridor,” he said.
He went on to say that the district would allow what’s in the rural residential area to exist. The uses include business, finance, other professional offices, office or clinic for health services, laboratory, research facility, auto service, light industry. Watchilla said the majority of these uses existed in the districts the properties used to be a part of, prior to 2012 when the zoning was redone.
The Planning Board read a memo from the Ware Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), dated Sept. 28. In the letter, the ZBA stated that the land does not offer development opportunities equally to all landowners over five acres along the Route 9 corridor. “We feel that the proposed overlay district is not in the best interest of the town, nor does it concur with the town’s master plan.”
Watchilla said the purpose of the hearing is to look at this proposal and make amendments. He noted that this will not be the final product set in stone.
Some residents expressed their concerns with the five acres rule and felt as if the proposal was rushed. Based on this, the Planning Board made a motion to make no recommendation. By doing this, Watchilla said the proposal will still go to the town meeting but will not be recommended by the board.