The Zoning Task Force has worked hard to respond to the Select Board’s charge to the ZTF. We have identified five general subjects for revision and prepared draft bylaw amendments which have been sent to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, and Energy Committee, as well as town staff, for their review and comment. Each of these proposed revisions are posted on the ZTF’s webpage on the town’s website.
To encourage and obtain feedback from town residents and other interested persons, the ZTF will be holding listening sessions on January 15 and January 22, 2026 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at Town Hall and online on Zoom. We also encourage attendance at our meetings and generally open with an opportunity for public comment.
The five areas that we have focused on are (1) a proposed overlay district on Shore and Highland Roads, (2) updated and new definitions, (3) enumeration of specific conditions for grant of a special permit, (4) permitting certain accessory structures, such as farmstands and sheds, as of right, and (5) a proposed single family to multi-family conversion bylaw.
The proposed Shore/Highland Overlay District would stretch from the Route 6/6A split up Shore Road to Knowles Heights Road and include Highland Road from Route 6 to just beyond Shore Road and be divided into three subdistricts. We will post a plan showing the boundaries of the proposed overlay district and its three subdistricts, and proposed use, dimensional and parking tables for each subdistrict on our webpage well in advance of the listening sessions. Conceptually, we see this district as being comprised of a “gateway” from the Route 6/6A spit to Highland Road, with a town center area along Highland Road and a mixed use area along Shore Road north from a bit above Highland Road to Knowles Heights Road. We envision the gateway to be a transition, preserving the historic look and feel of the area, but allowing some additional, compatible uses as of right or by special permit, where appropriate. No changes to current dimensional requirements are proposed. The North Truro town center area is intended to permit more commercial opportunities and, for new construction, provide parking in the rear, as well as encourage mixed use development. Along Shore Road north of Highland, we hope to allow some more commercial opportunities and slightly denser development, which is consistent with much of the current development in this part of our town. We believe that this proposed overlay district is consistent with and responds favorably to the charge given to the ZTF by the Select Board to seek opportunities for more commercial development and to encourage development of more housing, especially affordable and attainable dwelling units, in Truro.
The updated definitions are intended to reflect current practice in zoning as well as activities within our town and include requested changes from the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board.
The proposed special permit conditions are intended to give both applicants and the ZBA more guidance as to the necessary conditions that an applicant must satisfy in order to obtain a special permit, such as demonstrable compliance with septic requirements, sufficient potable water, appropriate scale, and the like, and the proposal provides for mitigation of any impacts to protect neighboring properties.
The accessory structures amendments would permit certain small structures as of right within Town, including sheds up to a certain size and farmstands for produce grown on site.
Lastly, the conversion bylaw is intended to allow persons to divide existing single-family homes into up to three more dwelling units, as long as certain conditions are met. The primary condition is that additions may only be up to an additional 200 sf as of right. The bylaw is modeled on a Cape Cod Commission model bylaw, and it is intended to allow for more housing without increasing building size. It is a wonderful opportunity for people who find that they have “too much house,” such as seniors who no longer need as much space, to divide it into several more dwelling units, allowing seniors to age in place, younger people to purchase a larger home together and divide it into several dwelling units or to legalize existing multi-family dwellings that were previously converted. It is consistent with the message we have received that many people in town would like to see housing integrated into our community rather than providing for new housing only through large developments, such as those in Provincetown.
We encourage persons interested in these issues to check the ZTF’s webpage and download the materials and to communicate your comments to us, at the listening sessions, in writing or through public comment at our meetings.
https://www.truro-ma.gov/628/Zoning-Task-Force-Ad-Hoc
