Planning Board

Meeting

• Meetings are usually at 6 pm on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month in the first-floor Hearing Room at the Town Office Building on 140 Wood St. Somerset, Massachusetts.  Other venues are used when greater space is required for a large public meeting.   Check agendas for times and venues.

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings both online and at the Town Clerk's office. Minutes are available online and at the Town Administrator's office (Paula Ramos, secretary) following approval by the Board.  Supporting documents that will be discussed at  the public meeting on that date will be uploaded to the Minutes link on the Planning Board's Agenda page before the minutes are finalized; when the final minutes have been approved, supporting documents will be updated to include all that were introduced before or during the meeting.  Supporting documents are also available during normal working hours at the Town Administrator's office.

View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes

Members

The Planning Board consists of five board members elected to staggered 5-year terms:

1. Tim Turner, Member, Term Ending: April 9, 2029
2. Gary Simons, Chair, Term Ending: April 10, 2028
3. Lloyd Mendes, Clerk, Term ending: April 14, 2027
4. Nicole McDonald, Member, Term Ending: April 13, 2026
5. William Raposa Jr., Member, Term Ending: April 14, 2025

The Board is supported by:

• Paula Ramos, Secretary (and admin assistant to the Town Administrator)
• William "Bill" Forand, Building Commissioner

Overview

The Planning Board is responsible for the following (with applications linked below):

• Approves the subdivision of land according to state and town laws. See Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land within the boundaries of Somerset.  For application forms see:
  • Application for approval of a Preliminary Subdivision Plan (Form B).
  • Application for approval of a Definitive Subdivision Plan (Form C).
  • Example of a typical covenant to ensure the construction of ways and the installation of municipal services withing a subdivision under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 41 section 81-u (Form D).
  • Full or Partial Covenant Release (Form E) to release covenanted lots from restrictions.
• Endorses plans of land of boundary changes for which the Board's approval is not required ( ANR or Form A ) under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 41 section 81-p. 
• grants Special Permits under the zoning by-law for the following uses: 
  • Accessory units in single-family dwellings ("in-law apartments")
  • Watershed Protection District 
  • Open Space communities  
  • Slades Ferry Overlay District (see Rules & Regulations and Application for a Hearing for a Special Permit for Mixed Use Development)
• Enforces the Somerset By-law Concerning Discharges to the Municipal Storm Drain System.
• Grants Stormwater Permit applications under the Planning Board's Stormwater Management Regulations .
• Provides technical assistance and written recommendations to the Zoning Board of Appeals on Planned Developments;
• Recommends street acceptance and zoning by-law changes to voters at Town Meetings.

Filing of applications is done through the Town Clerk's Office.

Additional links on current + recent topics :

Revision / Recodification of the Somerset Zoning Bylaws

As a part of the Master Planning process, a thorough revision and recodification of the Town's  Zoning bylaws was recommended in order to improve the bylaw's organization, enhance government efficiency, and ease enforcement, while making the bylaws more user-friendly for the public.

The Town will follow a two-step process including a diagnostic review by an attorney, to identify deficiencies and conducting an in-depth review of Somerset's existing regulations, identifying topics of critical concern. A key component in the process includes the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals preparing their own punch list of proposed zoning changes and any concerns regarding the current application process.

On August 12, 2020, the Zoning Recodification Committee sponsored a Zoning Bylaw Informational meeting in order to gain more insight and feedback regarding how the residents and businesses in the community are utilizing the regulatory process and to assist in guiding the outcome of drafting the bylaws.

For more information regarding the Somerset Zoning Recodification Project visit the Somerset Zoning Recodification page . 

Slades Ferry Overlay District Zoning Revision

SRPEDD (Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District) is proposing revisions to the zoning bylaw section regulating the Slades Ferry Overlay District, which was adopted at Town meeting on May 20, 2013.  The draft proposed revision dated April 7, 2024 can be accessed at the Town Administrator's office (2nd floor of the Town Office Building), at the Town Clerk's office or online. A slideshow presentation of the proposed  changes can be viewed here.

SouthCoast Wind Chapter 91 Waterways application to Mass. Department of Environmental Protection

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing (date to be determined) to gather public comment on SouthCoast Wind Energy's application to Mass. DEP for a Chapter 91 Waterway's permit related to cable laying at Brayton Point.   All the documents relating to SCW's combined application fo r  Waterways and Water Quality Certification  ca n be found at https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/PublicApp/ (searching Record ID with "23-WW26-0021-APP").   

Contact Us

• Town Hall, First Floor
  140 Wood Street
  Somerset, MA 02726
  United States
  See map: Google Maps
• Phone: 508-646-2809
• Fax: 508-646-2802

• Monday through Friday8:30 am to 4 pm