Shrewsbury To Hold Forum On 24-Month Mixed-Use Development Pause

SHREWSBURY, MA — Shrewsbury residents will get a chance next week to weigh in on a temporary pause on new mixed-use development permits along two major commercial corridors.

The Shrewsbury Planning and Economic Development Department will host a community forum at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at the Shrewsbury Council on Aging, 98 Maple Ave., to discuss the town’s 24-month moratorium on new “Horizontal Mixed-Use” and “Vertical Mixed-Use” building permits in the Lakeway Overlay District along Route 9 and the Route 20 Overlay District, according to a town announcement.

The moratorium applies to the town’s Lakeway Overlay District and Route 20 Overlay District. A Special Town Meeting warrant article proposed a 24-month temporary moratorium in those districts.

The town pursued a pause after a decade of growth in the two zoning districts, which have added more than 263,000 square feet of commercial space and 528 housing units, according to a memo to the Select Board recommending the moratorium.

Town officials said the moratorium is intended to give Shrewsbury time to study the effects of that growth on water, sewer, electric and traffic safety systems. The memo said the town’s zoning bylaws for the districts are nearly two decades old, with no substantial amendments in nearly a decade.

The moratorium does not permanently stop all development, according to town information. Instead, officials described it as a 24-month study period intended to help future growth align with the town's goals and available resources.

During the pause, the town plans to review water capacity, traffic safety, economic health, the Maple Avenue transit corridor and other planning issues. The town also plans to gather public feedback, draft bylaw updates and bring proposed changes to a future Town Meeting, according to the memo.

The Select Board voted in December to recommend passage of the zoning bylaw amendment, according to Select Board meeting minutes.

Forum On June 23

At the June 23 forum, residents will be able to ask questions of town staff, share views on mixed-use development along Route 9 and Route 20 and learn how the Master Plan update will factor into the effort.

Residents can RSVP and submit questions ahead of the meeting.

Residents who cannot attend can email comments to planning@shrewsburyma.gov, call (508) 841-8512 or contact the Shrewsbury Planning Department in person at 100 Maple Ave.

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