[MassHistPres] Town Village Zoning and Historical Preservation

[Paul Schwab]

Hi everyone,
The Town of Shrewsbury recently passed a series of zoning articles in order
to identify a Town Center DIstrict (many towns call this Town Village
District) as well to promote development. The visioning is quite good but
the preservation component was largely left out of the bylaw. Our
Historical Commission is now working with the Town Planner and Planning
Board to try to rectify this. I am curious if anyone has had experience
with these types of "Town Village" bylaws and if they could
recommend examples that you have found worked well to help preserve
historic structures/properties within these areas. In Shrewsbury, we have a
number of historic homes, churches, monuments and a cemetery that now fall
under the guise of this "Town Center". We are hoping to better align our
bylaw with an end goal of preservation rather than simply allowing new
structures to be built that merely appear historic.

I should also add that we are finally in the beginning stages of having our
first ever Historic Property Inventory completed. In addition we have
Community Preservation Act on the ballot today and am hopeful it will pass.

Here are some links to our bylaw:

Article 31 - TC Zoning District Definitions and Use Table
<https://shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7183/Article-31---TC-Zoning-District-Definitions-and-Use-Table>
Article 32 - TC Zoning District Site Plan
<https://shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7184/Article-32---TC-Zoning-District-Site-Plan>
Article 33 - TC Zoning District New Sub-section "U"
<https://shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7185/Article-33---TC-Zoning-District-New-Sub-section-U>

Thank you,
Paul Schwab
Shrewsbury Historical Commission Chair
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