The Plymouth Planning Board opened its mid-January session with a significant rebranding of the town’s guiding document, officially moving from the "Master Plan" terminology to the "Plymouth Comprehensive Plan." Chair Steven Bolotin explained that the change reflects resident feedback and the holistic nature of the draft, which is now available for public review. It is now the Plymouth Comprehensive Plan; can be referred to as the PCP if you're so inclined, Bolotin noted, adding that this plan addresses areas of Plymouth that historically have not been addressed in prior plans because they were not subject to development until the last 20 years. The board also touched upon regional traffic concerns, highlighting an ongoing Old Colony Planning Council study of the Route 80 corridor.

A substantial portion of the meeting focused on a redevelopment proposal by TL Edwards at 360 Cherry Street, where a 5-acre portion of a 38-acre sand pit is slated for a convenience store and gasoline filling station. Engineer Eric Shoemaker presented the plans, emphasizing that the project would include pedestrian improvements and modern landscaping. It's going to be a vast improvement over what the parcel looks like now, Shoemaker stated. Consultant Mickey Higgins reassured the board regarding the site's proximity to the aquifer protection district, stating, The entire fuel dispensing system... will all be double wall secondary containment with electronic monitoring. Traffic engineer Daniel Lasiva supported the layout, noting that the signals that were under study have sufficient capacity to accommodate the new and additional traffic.

Board members raised several concerns regarding environmental monitoring and site circulation. Tim Bennett questioned the drainage pitch near the groundwater protection district, noting, That tells me the water flows from that pump into the groundwater protection district. Christopher Smith advocated for better pedestrian safety, suggesting he would like to see a crosswalk on the south side of the convenience store over to that parking. Timothy Grandy echoed the need for clear direction, stating, I think we need to do some enhanced pavement markings in that particular area to prevent illegal left turns. Francis Mand also pushed for groundwater safeguards, remarking, I would hope to see closer monitoring in that area, especially given the history of that site. Despite these critiques, the board voted to recommend the project to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) with several attached conditions.

The meeting concluded with a provocative policy discussion led by Planning Director Lauren Lind, who proposed ending the automatic referral of all ZBA applications to the Planning Board. Lind argued the current practice is inefficient and often ignored by the ZBA. I'm questioning the board on the efficacy of this because first of all, it's not written in the zoning bylaws and it's not written in a policy, Lind said. Carl Donaldson voiced support for the modernization, stating, Planning is also part of change... I think that if we can streamline some of these things, the board can focus on larger policy goals. Joseph Higgins signaled his participation in the board's consensus by stating Second during earlier procedural votes. The board intends to formalize a new policy and procedures handbook at their next meeting to improve transparency for residents and developers alike.