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Continued hearing on a 40B (affordable-housing law) application to build 45 age-restricted affordable rental units on a vacant portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property; continuance from 06/03/26.

Related application to amend the MHA's existing comprehensive permit to carve out the 2.54±-acre parcel proposed for the Rosebay development, per 760 CMR 56.07(4).

Owner Teresa James is asking the ZBA for a Finding and/or Special Permit (a specific approval required under zoning law for certain uses), and possibly a variance (an exception to zoning rules), to convert an existing pre-existing garage/barn into a single-story, handicapped-accessible Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) with approximately 1,160 sq ft of living space. The property at 67 Harding St is in the RT Zoning District and is partially within both a Primary Aquifer Protection District and a flood zone (Assessors' Map 56, Lot 007). Neighbors of this property and anyone concerned about ADU development near sensitive environmental areas should attend or tune in before the board votes.

The owners of 301 North St want to tear down an existing nonconforming deck and replace it with a new 20-foot by 25-foot enclosed addition plus a smaller attached deck. Because the addition would push closer to the rear property line than allowed, the owners are asking the ZBA for a special permit and/or a variance (an exception to zoning rules). The required rear setback (minimum distance from the back of a structure to the property line) is 50 feet; it currently sits at 49 feet, and the proposed addition would bring it down to just 39 feet. Separately, lot coverage (the percentage of the lot covered by structures) would actually decrease slightly from 15.8% to 15.3%, though the allowed maximum is 15% — meaning it remains over the limit. The property is in the RT Zoning District and a partial Secondary Aquifer Protection District, shown on Assessors' Map 73, Lot 037.

The Rosebay at Medfield Limited Partnership is seeking a Comprehensive Permit under Massachusetts Chapter 40B (a state law that lets developers bypass some local zoning rules when a portion of units are affordable) to build 45 age-restricted affordable rental apartments on a vacant 2.54-acre parcel at the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property at 30 Pound Street (Assessors' Map 43, Lot 077, RU Zoning District with Secondary Aquifer Overlay). The project includes driveways, parking, landscaping, utilities, and stormwater management. The Medfield Housing Authority is also separately asking to modify its existing 1974 comprehensive permit (Decision #248) to carve out the 2.54-acre portion for this new development. This is a continuance from hearings on 12/04/25, 01/29/26, 03/12/26, 04/16/26, and a 06/01/26 site visit.

The ZBA will visit 30 Pound Street at 9:00 am on June 1, 2026 so board members can familiarize themselves with the property involved in the Rosebay 40B application. Board members may ask questions through the Chair and the applicant may point out site details such as boundaries, driveways, and proposed buffers. No testimony will be taken and no other discussion will occur at the site visit.

The ZBA will continue hearing this application from Rosebay at Medfield Limited Partnership for a Comprehensive Permit under MGL Chapter 40B (a state law that allows developers to bypass local zoning to build affordable housing) to construct 45 age-restricted affordable rental units on a vacant 2.54+/- acre portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property at 30 Pound Street (Assessors' Map 43, Lot 077, RU Zoning District with Secondary Aquifer Overlay). The development would include driveways, parking, landscaping, utility systems, and stormwater management. This is a continuance from hearings held on 12/04/25, 01/29/26, 03/12/26, and 04/16/26.

Separate from but related to the Rosebay application, the Medfield Housing Authority is seeking to modify its existing comprehensive permit (originally issued in 1974 as Decision #248) to carve out the approximately 2.54-acre portion of Tilden Village that is proposed for the Rosebay development. This application is filed under 760 CMR 56.07(4), which governs substantial changes to existing comprehensive permits. This item is also a continuance from prior hearings.

The Board approved a special permit allowing JPMorgan Chase to build a new 3,293 square-foot bank building in Shaw's Plaza, even though it reduces parking below what zoning normally requires. The plan drops total parking from 409 to 374 spaces, with the option to go as low as 370 if the Fire Chief needs minor layout changes for emergency vehicle access. Parking studies showed peak demand of about 233 cars (57% of current capacity), so the Board found the reduced parking adequate. Conditions include a ban on snow storage in parking spaces (must be cleared within 24 hours), a prohibition on bank-only reserved parking, and a required construction management plan.

JPMorgan Chase is asking the ZBA for a Finding, Special Permit, and/or variance (an exception to zoning rules) to build a new approximately 3,293-square-foot bank branch in the Shaw's Plaza parking lot at 230 Main Street. The project would reduce the number of parking spaces below the minimum required by Medfield's zoning rules, and includes sidewalks, landscaping, stormwater management, and ADA parking updates. This is a continuation of hearings that began on February 4, 2026 and has been heard again on March 4 and March 25, 2026.

This is the fourth hearing session on a proposal to build 45 age-restricted affordable rental apartments on a 2.54-acre vacant portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property at 30 Pound Street (Assessors' Map 43, Lot 077). The applicant gave verbal updates on plan changes worked out with Town departments and neighbors, but revised plans had not yet been submitted, so no updated drawings were reviewed. The Board did not vote on the permit itself at this meeting.

The applicant agreed to update plans to accommodate the Town's longest fire truck, add turning-movement analysis, relocate a fire hydrant for easier access, add a fire lane and no-parking signs, and install a Knox Box (a secure key box for emergency responders). The Fire Chief must confirm in writing that the revised plans are acceptable.

DPW confirmed it is comfortable with separate domestic, fire, and hydrant water connections and said there are no capacity issues. After discussion, DPW and the applicant agreed a six-inch sewer connection (rather than eight-inch) is appropriate. Stormwater was redesigned so there would be no discharge into the Town system, pending DPW confirmation.

The applicant plans to eliminate a stormwater basin at the rear of the property and replace it with larger underground stormwater chambers, leaving one basin behind Tilden Village. DPW also asked the applicant to explore an underground infiltration system to treat existing runoff passing through the site, which may not be feasible due to groundwater levels. Tetra Tech, the Town's peer reviewer, needs about three weeks to review revised plans.

The applicant agreed to move the walking path closer to the abutting property line, relocate the playground (tot lot) to the far side of the path, remove a sidewalk connecting the project to the school, and shift a crosswalk closer to the student entrance and daycare. A continuous six-foot vinyl-coated chain-link fence with a Knox Box emergency gate and no-trespassing signs will be installed to direct students away from the emergency access and toward the walking path. A small designated smoking area will be created to keep smoking off school grounds.

Based on a letter from the Kavanaugh family, the Chair asked the applicant to consider relocating the entrance driveway closer to the Tilden Village side because the current location sits opposite a shared driveway where many children walk. The applicant explained the current location was chosen to minimize impact on single-family homes and noted a utility pole complicates relocation, but agreed to provide a sketch and aerial exhibit for comparison.

Residents, including Select Board member Eileen Murphy, raised concerns that the building's design resembles 'The Parc' and may not fit the historic character of Pound Street. The applicant said the design had been revised three times with input from an ad hoc committee and that materials and detailing differ, but would need specific direction before another major redesign.

The Rosebay at Medfield Limited Partnership is seeking a Comprehensive Permit under MGL Chapter 40B (a state law that lets developers bypass some local zoning rules in exchange for providing affordable housing) to build 45 age-restricted affordable rental apartments on a vacant portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property at 30 Pound Street. The project would include driveways, parking, landscaping, utilities, and stormwater management on 2.54+/- acres zoned RU with a Secondary Aquifer Overlay. This is a continuance of hearings previously held on 12/04/25, 01/29/26, and 03/12/26.

The Medfield Housing Authority is separately asking the ZBA to amend its existing 1974 comprehensive permit (Decision #248) to carve out the 2.54+/- acre parcel proposed for the Rosebay development. This modification is filed under 760 CMR 56.07(4) and is directly tied to the Rosebay 40B application above.

This was the third ZBA hearing on Chase Bank's application to build a 3,293 sq ft bank branch at Shaw's Plaza, which would reduce the plaza's parking by a net 35 spaces below the already-below-minimum level. The Board requested a detailed, tenant-by-tenant parking breakdown (Shaw's, Blue Moon Bagel, Marshalls, Chipotle, Fitness Together, and the proposed bank) and comparison against both town zoning requirements and ITE industry standards. A member of the public (Jeff Hyman, 1 Metacomet St) raised concerns about construction disruption to parking during the build phase. The hearing was unanimously continued to April 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM via Zoom to allow the Planning Board's peer reviewer (Tetra Tech) to finish its review and for the applicant to submit the requested parking data.

Board members and staff raised concerns about a bus observed parking at Shaw's Plaza during daytime hours, occupying multiple spaces. The Police Chief confirmed the bus company had been conducting pickups at the plaza, which is not authorized by the property owner. The Police Chief planned to follow up with the school resource officer coordinating with the bus company and provide an update to the Board and applicant.

JPMorgan Chase is asking the ZBA for a Special Permit, a Finding, and/or a variance (an exception to zoning rules) to build a new 3,293 square-foot Chase Bank branch in the Shaw's Plaza parking lot at 230 Main Street. The construction would reduce the number of parking spaces below the minimum already required by town zoning rules, and minor ADA parking changes are also proposed. This hearing is a continuation from February 4 and March 4, 2026 and will be held via Zoom on March 25 at 6:00 PM.

The applicant, Rosebay at Medfield Limited Partnership, is seeking a Comprehensive Permit under Chapter 40B to build 45 age-restricted (62+) affordable rental units on a 2.54-acre vacant portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property. The applicant's engineer presented site plans showing one driveway from Pound Street, a looped parking area, 58 initial parking spaces (1.3 per unit) plus 12 future 'land-banked' spaces, municipal water/sewer connections, underground stormwater infiltration systems, two surface detention basins, and an 8-foot vinyl privacy fence (which needs a waiver since the bylaw normally limits fences to 6 feet). Board members raised concerns about fire truck access, snow storage, basin safety near the children's walking path, and lighting spilling toward existing Tilden Village residents.

The applicant's traffic engineer reported that updated crash data showed no significant issues, and that sight distances from the driveway (500 feet north, 422 feet south) exceeded the required 320 feet. Parking studies at Tilden Village and a comparable Rockland development (Lydia Square) suggested the 58 proposed spaces substantially exceed expected demand of roughly 40 spaces. The Town's peer reviewer (Tetra Tech) had a minor discrepancy in counting spaces (56 vs. 58) but raised no insufficient-parking concern; several residents disputed the Tilden Village comparison, arguing active seniors aged 62+ would drive more.

Direct abutters and neighbors (Colin Leary, Stephanie Sinis, Eileen Murphy) raised concerns about the proposed 8-foot vinyl privacy fence, preservation of mature trees, lighting, and a heavily-used children's walking path that crosses the site. Several preferred no fence or a natural green buffer instead, and the applicant agreed to meet directly with the three most affected abutters to revisit fence type, path placement, and screening. The fence, path, and decorative stone wall were all features added years earlier at neighbors' requests and are not technically required.

Resident Bill Jaques (5 Sanders Way) asked whether the new building could disrupt underground water flow and worsen existing basement/sump-pump problems in his neighborhood. The applicant's engineer explained that groundwater flows away from Sanders Way toward the school and that the development would not alter groundwater behavior affecting those homes. The revised stormwater design no longer discharges into the Town drainage system.

The Board directed the applicant to consult promptly with the School Department, Police, Fire (regarding ladder truck access and a possible larger truck), DPW, the Council on Aging, and the affected abutters before the next hearing. The Board also agreed to schedule a site visit (likely in May) and voted 3-0 to continue the hearing to April 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Coming up for discussion on March 12, 2026: Rosebay at Medfield Limited Partnership is seeking a Comprehensive Permit under state Chapter 40B (a law that allows developers to bypass some local zoning rules when a significant share of units are affordable) to build 45 age-restricted affordable rental apartments on a vacant portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property at 30 Pound Street. The project would include driveways, parking, landscaping, utilities, and stormwater management. This is a continued hearing, previously heard on December 4, 2025 and January 29, 2026.

Coming up for discussion on March 12, 2026: The Medfield Housing Authority has filed a separate but related application to modify its existing comprehensive permit (originally issued July 22, 1974) by removing the approximately 2.54-acre portion of the Tilden Village property that would be used for the Rosebay development. This modification is required so the Rosebay applicant can proceed with its own permit for that parcel.

JPMorgan Chase is seeking a special permit (an exception to zoning rules) to build a new 3,293 sq ft bank branch at Shaw's Plaza, which would reduce the already below-minimum number of parking spaces further. The Board discussed snow management concerns — up to ~40 spaces could be temporarily lost during large storms on top of the ~39 spaces permanently removed by the project. The hearing was continued to March 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom, pending additional information from the Planning Board's March 10 site visit and March 23 hearing.

Resident Jeffrey Hyman submitted a letter and spoke at the hearing expressing concern about the cumulative loss of parking at Shaw's Plaza. He estimated that the bank project could eliminate ~39 permanent spaces plus ~40 additional spaces seasonally due to snow storage, raising worries about impacts on existing businesses and customers. He asked the Board to clarify at what point the parking reduction would be too large to approve under the nine special permit criteria in the zoning bylaw.

JPMorgan Chase is asking the ZBA for a Special Permit, a Finding, and/or a variance (an exception to zoning rules) to build a new 3,293 square-foot Chase Bank building within Shaw's Plaza at 230 Main Street. The project would reduce the number of parking spaces on the site to below the minimum required by Medfield's zoning bylaws. The proposal also includes sidewalk improvements, landscaping, stormwater management, and ADA-compliant parking. This hearing is a continuation from the February 4, 2026 meeting.

The owner of 32 Farm Street is asking the ZBA for permission to have a rear yard setback of only 29.2 feet, well short of the 50-foot minimum required by zoning rules. They are seeking a Special Permit, a Finding (a determination that the change won't make a non-conforming property more non-conforming), or a Variance (an exception to zoning rules) — whichever applies. This hearing has already been continued multiple times from November 12, 2025, January 14, 2026, and January 21, 2026, and is coming up again for discussion on February 25, 2026.

JPMorgan Chase wants to build a new 3,293-square-foot bank next to Chipotle at Shaw's Plaza, which would reduce total plaza parking from 409 to 374 spaces — below the 543 the bylaw technically requires. The applicant's traffic consultant said parking is heavily underused (peak demand was 233 cars on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, about 57%), so the supply is more than adequate. The Board did not decide and continued the hearing to March 4, 2026 to wait for the Planning Board's parallel site plan review.

The owner of the abutting 258 Main Street property plans to install a gate (with a KnoxBox for emergency access) on the cut-through driveway connecting the two properties. Because there are no recorded access rights, the Town cannot require the connection to stay open, so regular traffic between the sites will be cut off while emergency vehicles can still get through.

The Police Chief observed buses using the plaza as a pickup and drop-off point within the last month and is working with the School Resource Officer to identify the operator and stop the practice due to safety concerns. A resident suggested it may relate to summer camp or private school rather than Medfield Public Schools.

The Planning Board is drafting a zoning change that would create a mixed-use overlay over downtown and Route 109 near Shaw's Plaza, allowing retail and housing together and permitting a second main building on a lot if it includes at least one housing unit. It would be administered through a Planning Board special permit and is headed to Town Meeting.

JPMorgan Chase is asking the ZBA for a Special Permit, a Finding, and/or a variance (an exception to zoning rules) to build a new 3,293 square-foot Chase Bank branch in the Shaw's Plaza parking lot at 230 Main Street. The new building would further reduce the number of parking spaces below the minimum required by Medfield's Zoning Bylaw; minor ADA parking modifications are also proposed. The project includes sidewalks, landscaping, stormwater management, and utilities. This is coming up for discussion and possible vote on February 4, 2026.

The applicant's traffic engineer presented a study finding the 45-unit, age-62-and-over development would add only about 9 car trips in the morning peak hour and 11 in the evening, a 0.1%–0.4% increase, and proposed roughly 1.27 parking spaces per unit. The Board's independent peer reviewer (Tetra Tech) asked for more data, including updated crash analysis, sight-distance plans, speed studies, and a real-world parking analysis using data from the adjacent Tilden Village and a comparable property in Rockland. The intersection of Pound Street and South Street already operates at a poor level of service (LOS E/F) projected for 2032, but the consultant said this is due to background growth, not the project.

Neighbors raised concerns about heavy pedestrian activity during school drop-off/pickup and high vehicle speeds on Pound Street, which includes a 20-mph school zone. The applicant's engineer confirmed a stop sign will be installed at the development's access driveway and that a 48-hour weekday speed study (with a possible weekend day added) would be conducted to verify sight distances.

The project proposes 57 parking spaces plus 12 additional 'land-banked' spaces that could be added later if needed. A Sanders Way resident worried about cars overflowing onto neighborhood streets; the applicant said the goal is to keep all parking on-site and could impose per-car fees or caps if needed. The Board asked for real vehicle-registration and car-count data from comparable senior properties to verify the parking supply is sufficient.

The Medfield Housing Authority is seeking to modify its 1974 comprehensive permit to carve out a 2.54-acre 'surplus' portion of the Tilden Village property so it can be ground-leased (for 99 years) to the Rosebay partnership for development. State agency EOHLC issued a conditional approval requiring the surplus land be used only for affordable housing. The Board discussed needing this conditional approval and clean copies of the 1974 decision added to the record, and possibly broadening the modification to cover a new side-yard setback issue created by the boundary line.

The Board voted 3-0 to continue the public hearing to Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM via Zoom, to allow time for additional traffic data collection and peer review. The next session will focus on site plan review, parking, stormwater, and continued traffic analysis. Residents were encouraged to submit written comments in advance.

The Rosebay at Medfield Limited Partnership is asking the ZBA for a Chapter 40B comprehensive permit (a state law that lets developers bypass most local zoning requirements when a set share of units is affordable) to build 45 age-restricted affordable rental apartments on a vacant portion of the Medfield Housing Authority's Tilden Village property at 30 Pound Street. The project would also include driveways, parking, landscaping, utilities, and stormwater systems. This is a continuation of the hearing that started on December 4, 2025.

Separately but related to the Rosebay application, the Medfield Housing Authority is asking the ZBA to amend its own existing comprehensive permit (originally issued in 1974) to carve out the approximately 2.54-acre portion of its Tilden Village property that would be used for the Rosebay development. This procedural step is required under state regulations (760 CMR 56.07(4)) before the new 40B permit can move forward. This is also a continuation from December 4, 2025.