Boxborough Planning Board Votes to Open Public Hearing on Fire Station Zoning

BOXBOROUGH — June 30, 2025 — Boxborough Planning Board opens public hearing on fire station zoning for August 4. The board voted 5-0 Monday to schedule a public hearing on changes to the town's zoning bylaw addressing municipal use, with Planning Board Member Mark White warning the town is losing "about $4,000 a day" to construction delays on a new fire station. Member Cindy Markowitz presented a same-day framework proposing a new "public safety use" definition — covering fire, police, and emergency services — as a narrower alternative to the broader municipal use article that failed at a prior town meeting. The board also agreed to a dedicated working session on July 16 to develop draft warrant article language. Separately, the board unanimously approved a scenic road and stonewall alteration permit for 170 Picnic Street, allowing applicant David McKiernan to temporarily remove up to 15 feet of stonewall to replace a failed septic system ahead of a pending July 21 property closing. Town Planner Alec Werner presented advisory group findings recommending District 1 — a hybrid multifamily overlay near the Littleton line — as the primary candidate for the town's MBTA Communities Act compliance district, with a first public hearing on that item also set for July 21.