Planning Board reorganizes; votes down family-definition petition.
Planning Board · Meeting of April 8, 2026
CHELMSFORD — Planning Board rejects citizens petition on family definition. The board unanimously voted 0-7 against recommending Article 26 to Town Meeting, which sought to overturn the Fall 2025 adoption of a revised "Family" definition aligned with Massachusetts state law and attorney general guidance. Chair Chris Lavallee, Vice-Chair Joel Luna, and Clerk Marcie Comtois were each reelected unanimously.
Director Evan Belansky reported the town submitted a state grant application on March 27 requesting up to $50,000 to advance the managed growth strategy, with total Phase 1 costs of $96,000. The board discussed zoning updates on child care facilities, special permit procedures, and inclusionary housing (PILO) provisions, prioritizing affordable units while preserving project-specific discretion, with longer-term updates to follow Housing Authority consultation.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 595 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of April 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 14-day free trial
Subscribe to Chelmsford News to keep reading this post and get 14 days of free access to the full post archives.
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news