TPZ continues 804 Fountain Street hearing to December 1; schedules January 5 public hearing on zoning amendments

At its October 21 special meeting, the Town Plan & Zoning Commission (TPZ) continued the combined public hearing for the 804 Fountain Street applications — covering a special permit for excavation, a multifamily site plan, and a related roof modification. The acting chair explained that the Commission is still awaiting written input from the Fire Marshal and Fire Department, as well as a peer-review memorandum from the town’s new planning consultant, Tyche Planning & Policy Group, Inc.

During the public hearing, concerns were raised about blasting and excavation (including whether excavated shale could be sold), the site’s rare geology and ecology, fire access and safety, traffic impacts, and delays in communication with fire officials. Several speakers also voiced frustration that a decision would not be made before Election Day.

After discussion, the motion to continue the public hearing to December 1 passed 5–1, with one member opposed to postponing the vote. The continuation will occur at the Commission’s next regular meeting on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 6:30 pm, in the Senior Café of the Center Building, 4 Meetinghouse Lane, Woodbridge. The 804 Fountain Street hearing will be the first order of business (see agenda posted at the town website). Application materials are available for public review in the Land Use Office at Town Hall and online. Individuals may attend and speak at the hearing or submit written comments by 3:30 pm on December 1 via email or by delivery to 11 Meetinghouse Lane.

In the work session that followed this action, the Commission turned to discuss the “Opportunity Housing” regulations adopted in December 2024. It was described that those changes expanded eligibility for multifamily housing to all parcels in residential zone A served by both public water and public sewer, and not within the public water supply watershed. It also increased maximum building height and density for the same parcels, and adjusted the required share of deed-restricted affordable units.

Commission members reviewed why the changes had been made: an earlier version of the regulations, adopted in 2021, had produced no new development in just over three years. At the time, the December 2024 amendment was presented as a way to make construction financially feasible while complying with state law requiring towns to plan for a range of housing options.

However, several commissioners said the update was adopted too quickly and came directly from a developer’s proposal (for 804 Fountain Street). Others emphasized that while they support affordable and diverse housing, the process should allow more public participation and careful attention to infrastructure limits such as sewer capacity and traffic access.

Members also discussed whether the broad application of the 2024 rules — covering every Res A parcel with both water and sewer not within the watershed — should be narrowed to specific zones or parcels, or perhaps restructured as an overlay district. They cited examples of other towns that have used smaller, clearly defined districts to guide where higher-density housing can occur.

The Commissioners appeared to mostly agreed that a more deliberate review was needed. A motion was introduced to revert the zoning language to its pre-2024 form, and an amendment was added to begin a comprehensive review of the opportunity-housing section with input from the town planner, outside experts, and regional agencies. The amended motion passed 5–1, and the Commission voted unanimously (6–0) to schedule a public hearing for January 5, 2026, to consider these proposed zoning text changes.

If adopted, the revisions could restore the previous density and affordability standards while allowing time to develop a more targeted approach for where and how opportunity housing may be expanded in Woodbridge.

The October 21 meeting recording is available on the Town’s YouTube channel, WAGTV79. and can be viewed below: