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The Planning Board on Sept. 8 heard a presentation from residents Gloria Korta and Rich Bartels, of The Ledges on Wainwright Road, regarding plans to submit a citizens petition at Town Meeting.
The petition would amend zoning applicable to the Ledges, turning it from a Planned Residential District (PRD) to a Residential District A (RDA) in order to allow a 20,000 square foot parcel to be sold for use as a separate lot under provisions of regulations established by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in 1985.
A similar petition was presented in November 2024 and gained the support of the Select Board, but not the Planning Board. That petition was withdrawn before Town Meeting.
In April 2025, two articles were back before Town Meeting. Once again, the Planning Board voted unfavorably on the project.
During Town Meeting, one article was tabled and the other could not be taken up by the body because it involved zoning. Zoning articles are prohibited from coming back to Town Meeting for two years.
While about 80% of Ledges residents were in favor of the idea in 2024, Korta said 94% are now in favor, in part because the sale will help replenish funds for the Homeowners Association.
The minimum lot size for an RDA parcel is 20,000 square feet and represents just .81% of Ledges land.
The parcel is valued at $1,100,000, which Korta said will translate into $36,000 in tax revenue for the town each year, plus 1.5% of the value in a Community Preservation Act surcharge and $37,000 in permitting fees — all without any cost to the town.
“No capital investment on infrastructure is required,” Korta said. “No roads or utilities are required because the parcel fronts Wainwright.”
She also said the Planning Board, ZBA and Conservation Commission will still have jurisdiction for oversight and reviews of any development.
There was no discussion among the Planning Board members after the presentation.
Neil Zolot has been a freelance journalist more than 40 years. He has worked for newspapers on the North Shore and in the Boston area.
