Planning Board

Description
The Planning Board is an elected body created for the purpose of protecting the safety, convenience, and welfare of the inhabitants of Freetown by regulating the laying out and construction of ways in subdivisions and ensuring sanitary conditions in subdivisions and in proper cases parks and open areas.

The powers of the Planning Board under the Subdivision Control Law shall be exercised with due regard for the provision of adequate access to all of the lots in a subdivision by ways that will be safe and convenient for travel; for lessening congestion in such ways and in the adjacent public ways; for reducing danger to life and limb in the operation of motor vehicles; for securing safety in the case of fire, flood, panic and other emergencies; for ensuring compliance with the Town of Freetown zoning ordinances and by laws; for securing adequate provision for water, sewerage, drainage, underground utility services, fire, police, and other similar municipal equipment, and street lighting and other requirements where necessary in a subdivision; and for coordinating the ways in a subdivision with each other and with the public ways in Freetown and with the ways in neighboring subdivisions.

It is the intent of the Subdivision Control Law that any subdivision plan filed with the Planning Board shall receive the approval of such Board if said plan conforms to the recommendation of the Board of Health and to the reasonable Rules and Regulations of the Planning Board pertaining to subdivisions of land; provided, however, that such board may, when appropriate, waive, as provided for in Section 81 R, such portions of the Rules and Regulations as is deemed advisable.

Special Permits and Site Plan Review

The Planning Board is designated as the Special Permit Granting Authority for the purpose of granting special permits as
cited in the Table of Use Regulations in the Town by laws. The SPGA shall follow the procedural requirements for special permits as set forth in Section 9 ofM.G.L. Chapter 40A.

The Board is also designated as the Site Plan Review Authority for those projects requiring site plan approval as outlined in the Town by laws.

Application Submission:

Please schedule an appointment when dropping off a submission. This allows the submission to be reviewed for completeness. Please make sure that all signatures on applications and authorization forms are originals. 

Staff Contacts

NameTitle

Planning and Land Use Administrator

Nicole Demoranville

Senior Clerk

Board Members

NameTitleTerm
James Frates

Chairman

2024

David Crose

Vice Chairman

2027

Chad S. Carvalho

Member

2028

Christopher Mello

Member

2025

Steven Tripp

Member

2026