Gloucester Planning Board Advances Draft Ordinance to Consolidate Residential Subdivision Rules

Planning Board · Meeting of February 5, 2026

Gloucester's Planning Board moved to consolidate two residential subdivision ordinances into a single open space residential development framework at its February 5 meeting. The draft ordinance, presented by subcommittee members Jane Rampson, David Rosen, Sean Henry, and Beverly Bookin with support from Planning Director Greg Katamatori, would require developers to permanently preserve 50 percent of any qualifying parcel, minimum 10 acres, as open space aligned with critical natural resources including wetlands and steep slopes. A density bonus provision would allow up to 50 percent additional units for projects where at least 10 units qualify as "small", defined as 1,500 square feet or less, and those bonus units would be exempt from the city's inclusionary housing requirement.

Rampson said the subcommittee designed the framework specifically to address what she called Gloucester's need for "small unit housing" and to fix septic-capacity and ledge-identification problems that plagued past cluster subdivision approvals. The board plans a fuller visual presentation at its March 5 meeting followed by an informal public and developer comment period before any formal zoning amendment is submitted to the City Council.

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Source: the Planning Board meeting of February 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.