Committee weighs zoning tools for MCI site

Other Committee · Meeting of July 23, 2026

Concord's MCI Master Plan Committee weighed zoning tools for the former prison site but took no votes on the substance. Consultants Jeff Speck, of Speck Dempsey, and Nels Nelson, of Community Scale, presented options for pairing a new "regulating plan" with zoning, with Nelson recommending site plan review as "a strong candidate" since the state's Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance wants a by-right process. Committee member Elizabeth cautioned against borrowing city-based zoning examples, noting Concord's roads can only be created through "subdivision control law" and town meeting.

Members discussed whether a temporary Route 2 construction bridge could become a permanent Baker Avenue Extension connector and said a land-use attorney's report found MCI the only viable Department of Public Works relocation site, with "no second alternative right now." A $600,000 state design request for the Kenny Dunn Square bridge area is advancing through Senator Barrett's office. The committee approved two sets of minutes and voted to adjourn.

In the full story:

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Source: the Other Committee meeting of July 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.