The ‘80s Strike Back at PZC

Remember the good old days when you could build an iron smelting plant next to a daycare, or whatever? Maybe things weren’t quite that dire, but it wasn’t that long ago that zoning was pretty loosey-goosey in Stafford and at the Thursday, January 15, 2026, Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) today’s commissioners were dealing with questions raised by sometimes mysterious decisions made back in the “roaring ‘80s,” as PZC Chair Dave Palmberg jokingly referred to them. 

Before we dive in, here’s a quick note: Lots & More was on the agenda, but did not appear at the meeting.

53 Wales Road

The first informal discussion of the night had to do with 53 Wales Road, where Elizabeth Ouellette owns two parcels of land–one on Wales Road and one to the rear. Together, these parcels total about 48 acres, but a variance was required back in the 1980s to build on the land because it does not have the required road frontage. At the time, according to Ouelette’s attorney, the variance stipulated that only one single-family residence could be built on the land. Now, Ouellette wants to downsize by building another house behind the existing home, but also doesn’t want to build on the larger, rear property. 

Palmberg suggested that due to new state regulations aimed at encouraging affordable housing solutions, people with enough property can build Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) “as of right.” So, if Ouellette is willing to lease the original home to someone rather than selling it, Palmberg suggested building an ADU would be the simplest option. 

Rockledge subdivision

Next up was a subdivision on Rockledge Road that includes four parcels currently zoned in the Highway Business Zone. Lee Collins of Wales, Mass., wants to buy all of the parcels and bring his business, Collins & Sons Excavating, to the site. He also wants to build spaces to rent out to other businesses who need space. 

The subdivision has gone undeveloped for what seems like decades, and has been used unofficially as a contractor yard even though the zoning does not technically allow for that use. So, everyone seemed in agreement that Collins should be able to buy the land and continue using it as a contractor yard, but the best way to get there was up for debate.

Commissioner Richard Shuck thought it could simply be an existing, non-conforming use. Palmberg, however, thought taking the extra time to change the zone to Highway Industrial would give Collins more flexibility. Ron Houle asked if his fellow commissioners were worried about being accused of spot zoning, “when a piece of property or groups of property have special zoning laws applied to them that differ from the zoning laws surrounding them.” Shuck says since the use has not changed he thinks the PZC is on “solid ground.” Attorney Wendell Avery, who was representing the potential buyer, said he believed the lot had been zoned as industrial at some point in the past. 

12 Hillcrest Drive

Over on Hillcrest Drive, a subdivision was approved in 1985, according to Attorney Avery, who had lots of business before the commission. The subdivision was originally on a cul de sac, and the regulations at the time limited the number of buildable lots on cul de sacs. Lot 15 was originally a buildable lot, but the builder decided to swap its status for a different lot on the road. Later, the road was extended and it was no longer a cul de sac. The builder then wanted to redesignate Lot 15 as buildable, but apparently never crossed the Ts or dotted the Is because it never happened. “Someone dropped the ball…” on this “housekeeping issue,” said Shuck.

The lot has languished as a non-buildable lot for decades, according to Avery. He was seeking a resolution to help get the lot back on the buildable list. Shuck suggested that it was a buildable lot of record, but Palmberg said they needed something in the land use records to nullify the old, non-buildable designation. Ultimately, the fix was a simple motion and vote to deem 12 Hillcrest an existing buildable lot of record.