In May of 2021, voters at Essex Town Meeting passed a temporary moratorium on change of use of a property from residential or open space to business or industrial, and subsequent Town Meetings extended that moratorium two more times.
That moratorium is now set to end in January of 2025 and the Essex Planning Board has spent the last three years working towards protections for residential areas from intrusive commercial development while also protecting the character of the town and providing adequate and appropriate areas for businesses to grow and develop.
At the upcoming Special (Fall) Town Meeting, the Planning Board will be bringing forth articles that, if passed, will establish new residential zoning districts in fairly large areas throughout Essex. This is the most significant proposal for zoning changes that Essex has seen, and now is the time for input. The Planning Board is reaching out today to ensure that you, as someone who has attended a public forum about zoning updates in the past, have an opportunity to weigh in before the warrant is finalized in October. Here's how you can learn more and be heard:
Engagement Workshops
The Planning Board has been holding engagement workshops all summer to offer an informal, drop-in style chance for discussion and learning. At the workshops, participants can look at maps of the proposed zoning changes, ask questions, and share input for the Planning Board to consider. This is a great way to get answers and offer meaningful input through real-time, back-and-forth exchanges with Planning Board members. The final workshops were scheduled for Wednesday, September 11 and Monday, September 16, 2024. Workshops take place from 6-9 p.m. in the Town Hall third floor auditorium and are offered in-person only (i.e., no Zoom option).
Public Forum
A public forum has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall third floor auditorium. This will be a more formal meeting and will feel like a public hearing, with a presentation at the beginning followed by formal public comment. This forum is the last opportunity to publicly address the Planning Board before the proposals are finalized, and it is hoped that people take advantage of the opportunity. Remote participation will be offered, and the forum will be recorded by 1623 Studios and shared on their YouTube channel.
Online Resources
The Planning Board page of the Town website provides access to the most up-to-date information on this effort, including a calendar of events, the current map of proposed residential districts and table of proposed uses, minutes from recent meetings, and information about upcoming meetings. Upcoming meetings and events are listed right on the main Planning Board page, and updates about the residential zoning districts effort are posted in the News and Announcements section. If you have not already, please consider engaging in this important effort. This is too much to take in all at once at Town Meeting, and the Planning Board is counting on people like you to share input throughout the process. (Essex Planning Board)
