Click on one of the links below for more information about the Hanover Planning Board and Planning Office.

About the Planning Board

Current Planning Board Members

Planning Staff / Contact Us

About Planning

Processes & Procedures

Current Projects

Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Downloads

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Links

About the Planning Board

Background

The Hanover Planning Board is a five member elected Board which was first established at the March 1930 Annual Town Meeting, and reestablished under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) Chapter 41, Section 81A, entitled “Improved Methods of Municipal Planning” at the March 1938 Annual Town Meeting.  The Planning Board also has two associate (alternate) members.

Purpose

The Planning Board studies the needs and resources of the Town, particularly those conditions affecting public safety and welfare related to land use and development. The Board is authorized to consider applications for site plan review and for reviewing applications pertaining to the Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land in the Town of Hanover. The Planning Board is the “custodian” of the Town’s Zoning Bylaws. The Board is responsible for establishing the Zoning Bylaws and for conducting Public Hearings and making recommendations relative to amending those Bylaws. (Most amendments to the Zoning Bylaws are both authored by and sponsored by the Planning Board.) Under the provisions of the Town’s Zoning Bylaw, the Planning Board is the primary Special Permit Granting Authority for the Town. Another large part of the Planning Board’s responsibility is to research and develop the Town’s Master Plan and ensures that any growth in the Town is consistent with that plan. The Master plan covers such elements as land use, housing and economic development, natural resources, open spaces, services and transportation. The Planning Board is also responsible for the official Town map and Zoning map. Recently the Planning Board and the Planning Department have begun developing the Town’s GIS Data System.

Current Planning Board Members

Click here to view or download the current Planning Board membership with committee designations, addresses, and terms of service.

Notes:

1)  Annual Town Election Required.

2)  Full Members are Elected five (5) year terms; Associate Members are Appointed two (2) year terms.

Planning Staff / Contact Us

Town Planner:  Andrew R. Port  ( planning@hanover-ma.gov )

Planning Board Secretary:  Margaret Hoffman ( office.planning@hanover-ma.gov )

(Click here to use our online email form!)

Phone:  781-826-7641

Fax:  781-826-5950

Address:

Hanover Planning Board

550 Hanover Street

Hanover, MA  02339

About Planning

Many factors must be taken into consideration in order to create the kind of town that prospers and is prepared to meet changing needs. Buildings, preserved land, public spaces and parks, roads and bridges, and other structures should reflect the essential character of a community and the people who reside in it. Throughout the world, in tiny villages and in great cities, millions of private and public decisions have been made that express the priorities of each culture and determine the quality and value of today’s built landscape for better or worse.

Population and land use is increasing at profound rates worldwide. It is inevitable that we will continue to experience this growth in Hanover until “buildout” conditions are reached. Without proper planning we will not be able to establish and sustain a livable Town that is socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally conscious. The community must play a part in envisioning the future and accepting responsibility for its collective future. Layer upon layer of history links us to the people who came before us. Reminders of our past have the power to inspire us to reach further than we would otherwise. In the times of ancient Athens civic leaders had to swear an oath to "pass on to the next generation a city that is better than the one received."

Many of our buildings today compete with structures that are already in place, overwhelming, dominating and changing the very nature of the neighborhood. This is not always a positive factor. Great communities respect and understand their environment and are sensitive to the surrounding culture and its historical roots. Well-designed and sited structures enhance the whole community. The quality and visual appeal of individual projects–whether residences, businesses or public buildings - effect current and future private property values as well as the quality of people’s lives.

A dynamic Town is not created in a haphazard manner, but rather through thoughtful and insightful planning. Simply building roads, shops, schools, parks, and houses, without careful research on the area, can result in fragmentation. Careful thought to every detail in planning and design is essential if a cohesive unity is to emerge that reflects the needs of the whole community. Forward-thinking is essential for the Town to develop and improve with its own unique identity.

The entire community must be involved in the process and "own" the decisions that are made if we are to succeed. Individuals must work together for the future good of the whole and personal agendas must be put aside.

Responsible planning has always been vital to the sustainability of safe, healthy, and secure urban environments. Planning is a systematic, creative way to influence and respond to a wide variety of changes occurring in a neighborhood, in a city, in an entire region, or around the world. Planners assist communities to formulate plans and policies to meet their social, economic, environmental, and cultural needs in the face of societal forces. Planners do so by identifying problems and opportunities, evaluating alternative solutions or plans, and communicating their findings in ways that allow citizens and public officials to make knowledgeable choices about the future.

What makes human beings unique? The fact that we can plan. Our greatest achievements--from the pyramids of Egypt to modern skyscrapers--have all resulted from our ability to envision the future and muster the resources needed to achieve it. Professional planners have studied the way our lives are influenced by physical, economic, and social forces. It's their job to help the rest of us shape the kinds of communities we want. Part of the job is done through zoning, the division of land into different types of uses to avoid nuisances and promote healthy and orderly development. Zoning is a tool, but it's not planning.

Planning involves many tools, including economic and demographic analysis, natural and cultural resource evaluation, goal-setting, and strategic planning. Besides being the only profession specially trained to look at how these elements fit together, planners bring something more. They can offer options - so that communities and their citizens can achieve their vision of the future. Planners are the key to implementing the wishes, hopes, and aspirations of citizens all across the spectrum.

Planners provide the framework for communities to address change. They use analytical methods like statistical and geographic information to provide a factual basis for good decisions about future plans. They help convene different interest groups to work toward consensus about what should be done. Plans provide a blueprint for other professions to work with, such as transportation engineers, architects, developers, housing officials and so on. Think of the Town’s Master Plan as a statement about how a community can utilize all its resources, human and physical, to achieve what it collectively wants to be in the future.
 

Processes & Procedures

The Planning Board relies on the Town Planner and the Planning Board Secretary to administer permitting processes. Applications for Special Permits, Site Plan Reviews, Preliminary and Definitive Subdivisions and Approval Not Required Plans are accepted in the Planning Board office during regular business hours (generally Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.). All plans and applications must be complete and be time and date stamped by the Town Clerk’s office prior to being accepted by the Planning Department. Download our Permit & Filing Fees for more information or visit the Planning Board office.

Once the Planning Department receives an application for a subdivision or site plan review, a date is set for the required Public Hearing. Copies of the plans are sent to the Building Commissioner, Conservation Commission, Department of Public Works, Board of Health, Design Review Board, and Fire Department for their review and comment. The Town Planner will then write an advertisement that is sent to the applicant and the local paper. The invoice for advertising in the local paper is sent to the applicant. The applicant then must send the advertisement by certified mail to the abutters indicated on a Certified Abutters List prepared by the Assessor’s Office. The Public Hearing is held (and continued if necessary) until the Board has enough information to either disapprove the project or approve the project with conditions.

After the Public Hearing is closed a written decision will be prepared by the Town Planner and Planning Board and sent to the Town Clerk to begin a twenty day appeal period. After the appeal period has expired the applicant is responsible for bringing the decision back to the Planning Department for final endorsement by the Chairman. Subdivision Plans also require endorsement by the Board. After all signatures are obtained the applicant is then responsible for having the decision and any plans, covenants, easements or other restrictions recorded at the Plymouth County Registry of deeds. Proof of recording must be given to the Planning Department before a Pre-Construction meeting will be scheduled. Once proof of recording is provided and all other related land use permits have been obtained (Building, Conservation, Board of Health, DPW, etc.) a Pre-Construction meeting is held to address outstanding issues and construction timeline and procedures prior to the start of work. Various staff from each department monitor the progress of construction work. Once the project is complete, the applicant must obtain approval from the Planning Board that the work has been completed correctly. For more information, contact the Planning Board staff.
 

Current Projects

Master Plan Update

The Planning Board staff is gathering the information necessary to update the Town’s Master Plan which will take at least a year to complete. This Plan (also referred to as a Comprehensive Plan) was last updated in 1997. Planners generally update such plans on a ten-year schedule. This allows time for implantation of the plan while ensuring regular update to the Town’s central and guiding plan for action. The purpose of a Master Plan is to coordinate the actions necessary by all Town agencies to fulfill a defined vision of the community’s future. Typical analysis and recommendations of the plan relate to the following key elements:

Land Use
Economic Development
Housing
Transportation & Circulation
Natural and Recreational Resources
Cultural & Historical Resources
Municipal Facilities & Services
 

Development and adoption of the Town’s Master Plan necessitates a depth of outreach and public participation to create a conceptual “Vision Statement” and Goals along with specific Objectives and Actions to implement those goals. Over the ten-year life-cycle of the plan the community must work to execute the recommendations of the plan in order to improve or maintain the quality of life in the Town. Once the data gathering phase is complete the Planning Board will coordinate an informed discussion and update of the plan.

Click here to visit the Hanover Master Plan web page!

Updates to Zoning Bylaw and Subdivision Rules & Regulations

Each year the Planning Board and Town Planner bring forward amendments to the Zoning Bylaw deemed necessary to meet changing needs of the community or to meet changing state statutes and case law related to land use and development. Just as the Town’s Master Plan must be updated regularly, the Zoning Bylaws must be updated to address new issues or changing needs. Likewise, the Board’s own rules regulating the subdivision of land and creation of new roads and services must be updated.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) & Mapping

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information. The system is used in order to support decision making for planning and management of land use, natural resources, environment, transportation, and other urban facilities. GIS Links location to information and analyzes that information to give you a better understanding of how it all interrelates.

The Town Planner is working with the Superintendent of Public Works, Computer Coordinator, Assessor’s Office and other land use departments in order to develop a more extensive GIS with map layers and information related to all areas of land use and development. Standardized maps will be created for use by all. Data collection and creation is underway along with networking, software and hardware coordination. GIS and related software are available to all Town Departments. To see the GIS in action, visit the Planning Board office during regular business hours.

Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Planning Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes can be viewed and downloaded from the Town Calendar of Events, by selecting the date of the meeting.

Downloads

Click on the links below to see Planning Board related Downloads:

Bylaws & Regulations

Maps & GIS

Forms, Permits & Applications

Frequently Asked Questions

I received a “Notice of Public Hearing.” What does this mean?

State statutes and local regulations require that abutters be given notice whenever certain development projects require permits. You are being given legal notice in accordance with applicable regulations. The notice will indicate the location and general scope of the proposed development and the time of the Public Hearing where the general public may comment on the proposal. You may also review the proposed development plans at the Planning Board office.

The Planning Board generally meets every other Monday evening at 6:45 p.m. on the second floor of Town Hall at 550 Hanover Street. Meetings are posted at the Town Clerk’s Office. All Planning Board meetings are open to the public and the public is welcomed and encouraged to attend these meetings. These meetings are your opportunity to voice your opinion on the projects proposed. You may also submit letters to the Board in the event you cannot attend a given meeting.
 

Related Links

Conservation Commission

American Planning Association
Massachusetts Municipal Association
Massachusetts State Website
Massachusetts General Laws
North & South Rivers Water Association
Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Plymouth County Registry of Deeds