Tonight’s TPZ Meeting: Two Public Hearings & POCD Review

The Town Plan & Zoning Commission meets tonight, Monday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Senior Café of the Center Building, with a full agenda that includes two public hearings, continued work on the draft Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), and follow-up on outstanding permit matters. For full details, view the published Agenda on the Town’s website.

Two Public Hearings

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Commission will hear applications related to two proposals. The first public hearing concerns a multi-family development on a privately owned lot at 804 Fountain Street:

• A special permit for excavation, filling, grading, and processing of earth products related to the multi-family development of the property,
• A special exception/site plan to construct a multi-family unit development under §§ 3.4.E and 6.3 of the zoning regulations, and
• A special exception to modify the requirement for a gable, hip, or gambrel roof as set out in § 3.4.5.

Following this, another public hearing will be held on the application for a special permit for excavation, removal, filling, grading, and processing of earth products associated with the construction of a two-family home on a privately owned lot at 110 Luciani Street.

Work Session Items

Following the hearings and any new business, the Commission’s work session will include:

• Discussion and appropriate action on the draft POCD, now closed to public comment after testimony received at the TPZ’s November 3 hearing (see below for details);
• Consideration of a renewal request for the 114 Luciani Street excavation and earth-removal permit, currently set to expire at year’s end;
• Continued review of the 804 Fountain Street and 110 Luciani Street applications, and;
• Reports from the Regional Planning Commission, the Housing Committee, and the Zoning Enforcement Officer, as well as a reminder of the public hearing set for January 5, 2026 to consider an amendment to the Opportunity Housing zoning regulations.

Highlights from the November 3 TPZ meeting

The Commission’s previous meeting, held on November 3, centered on the public hearing for the draft Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). In one of the most substantive hearings of the year, residents voiced strong concerns that the draft relied too heavily on housing recommendations while insufficiently reflecting conservation priorities.

Key themes of the Public Hearing testimony included:

• Requests for greater emphasis on open space, watershed protection, and climate considerations;
• Calls to correct or rebalance material drawn from the 2022 Affordable Housing Plan;
• Concerns about process, including ensuring that all comments submitted to the Board of Selectmen were transmitted to TPZ, and;
• Concerns about unmanaged growth, environmental impacts, and the importance of preserving Woodbridge’s rural character.

Written comments from SCROG, the Conservation Commission, Historical Society, and multiple residents were entered into the record. Material forwarded from the Board of Selectmen was also noted for the record.

TPZ members then voted to close the public hearing on the POCD and begin the process of reviewing and incorporating revisions with assistance from their consultant, SLR International. It was stated that the Commission expects to take action on a revised draft during the month of December.

Other actions on November 3 included:

• Election of Jeff Kennedy as TPZ Chairman;
• Receipt of an update on 114 Luciani Street (action on any permit extension was tabled to the December 1 meeting), and;
• Notices of upcoming housing and land-use training.

All TPZ hearing and meeting notices appear in advance as a listings on the town website’s Agenda Center page. TPZ meetings are open to the public and streamed live on the Town’s YouTube channel, WGATV79. Click below to watch the full November meeting recording.

Editor’s note: This recap is written by Sheila McCreven in her role as editor of the Chronicle. Sheila is also an elected member of the Board of Selectmen (her term ends December 31, 2025). See the Editorial Note on Government Coverage on our About page to learn more.