Tensions flared during Thursday’s Planning Board meeting as members grappled with a proposal to transition the Master Plan Implementation Committee (MPIC) into a permanent standing body. The debate over Article 5 for the upcoming Special Town Meeting revealed deep-seated concerns regarding committee oversight and the speed of the legislative process. Member Sean Fahy led the opposition to the permanent status, arguing that the proposal was rushed and lacked sufficient collaboration with the Planning Board.

I’m not a fan of rushing anything, Fahy stated, noting that he only learned of the proposal when he received the town warrant in the mail. I don’t think it’s good governance to rush the creation of a permanent committee. I’d rather give everyone a break than create a committee that is not well-baked. This characterization drew a sharp response from Member Cheryl Tougias, who has served as the MPIC’s lead. I take offense to calling it not baked, Tougias countered. The committee feels it is baked and spent a lot of thought putting it together. Tougias explained that a tight one-week window in July had forced the committee to generate the article quickly to meet the August deadline.

Chair Meredith Hall expressed concerns that the committee’s current proposed charge might confuse residents regarding the Planning Board’s statutory authority over town planning. Hall suggested amending the language to ensure the MPIC makes recommendations directly to the Planning Board rather than acting independently. Member Margaret Oldfield echoed the sentiment for caution, noting that Milton already manages 91 different committees. Government should be slow and steady, Oldfield said. I’ve felt like MPIC has been running parallel to the planning board and things are being recommended without input from us. Following the discussion, the board directed new Planning Director Elizabeth Manning to consult with the Town Administrator regarding the possibility of a one-year extension for the current committee instead of establishing it in perpetuity.

The board also tackled significant financial and procedural updates, including the FY27 budget and new site plan review fees. Manning reported that the department typically operates with a $50,000 allocation for studies, but members argued for a substantial increase. Tougias suggested earmarking between $40,000 and $100,000 for a consultant to handle zoning recodification. It would be very helpful... because our zoning code is not easy to work with. It’s out of date and lacks user-friendliness, Tougias noted, pointing out conflicts with state law.

Financial concerns shifted toward local developers during a review of the new Site Plan Review rules. Member Jim Davis raised alarms over a proposed $5,000 peer review fee and the requirement for eight sets of physical plans, which he argued could stifle small-scale projects. I got a little afraid being a small-town developer, Davis said. Does a three-family trigger the $5,000 fee and eight sets of plans? That seems like a ridiculous amount of protocol for a small project. Manning clarified that while the bylaw acts as a catch-all for all scales of development, she is currently working on waiver systems and a slimmed-down version specifically for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

Manning, attending her first major meeting as director, also highlighted the urgent need to renew the town’s Housing Production Plan, which is set to expire in 2025. The plan is a critical tool for maintaining the town’s protection against 40B developments by demonstrating a path toward the 10 percent affordable housing threshold. Oldfield requested a more transparent tracking system for these units, noting that it would be helpful to see a chart of how many we actually have that are affordable.

Looking toward future legislative goals, the board identified the sign bylaw and a potential Historic Preservation Master Plan as priorities for the Spring Town Meeting. Chair Hall suggested that streamlining the sign bylaw through legal counsel could prevent the board from being bogged down in administrative minutiae. Davis agreed with the need for efficiency, stating, We should have a rolodex of consultants to handle this so we aren’t here for five hours doing stuff they should be doing. The board also plans to coordinate with the new Building Commissioner, who Manning reported is focused on ensuring affordable units are correctly reported to the state before certificates of occupancy are issued.