Boxborough Planning Board revises plastic bylaw timeline, directs staff to rework exemptions before Town Meeting

BOXBOROUGH -- April 29, 2026, Boxborough Planning Board reshapes plastics bylaw timeline and flags design review article as risky ahead of May Town Meeting. At the April 29 remote meeting, the five-member board voted 5-0 to approve amended March 2 minutes and 4-0-1 to approve April 6 minutes, with Clerk Rich Guzzardi abstaining from the latter. The bulk of the session was consumed by a debate over the town's proposed plastic bag and polystyrene bylaw, prompted by Economic Development Committee Chair Abby Reip's presentation requesting a phase-in plan and better business outreach. Two Friends Chocolates owner Lala Selveraj appeared to describe how the bylaw's disposable food serviceware provisions would directly affect her retail packaging, after Town Planner Alec Wade confirmed that two of her ten submitted products contain polystyrene. The board directed Wade to return May 11 with revised implementation dates fixed at January 1, 2027 for plastic bags and utensils and January 1, 2028 for food serviceware and packaging, along with reworked exemption language developed with the Building Commissioner. Separately, Guzzardi raised concern about Article 9, expanding Design Review Board jurisdiction, noting the Finance Committee is on record 0-6 against the measure, and said he would contact the Finance Committee chair before the next meeting to determine whether the article should be pulled from the warrant.