Milford Planning Board sends two zoning fixes to Town Meeting, approves gym parking waiver

MILFORD — April 7, 2026 — Milford Planning Board advances two zoning bylaw cleanups and approves a fitness center parking waiver. The board voted favorable recommendations to Town Meeting on two housekeeping amendments: one aligning minimum lot widths with frontage requirements in the RB, RC, RD, and IB zoning districts, and one removing a wetland protection provision from Section 2.4.8 of the zoning bylaws that was rendered redundant when the Conservation Commission updated its own wetland rules. On a separate application, the board approved a site plan waiver for a proposed fitness center at 161 East Main Street, where applicant Romalo De Freitas — who operates a Framingham gym with more than 2,000 members — is planning to open a second location. The waiver was granted subject to De Freitas submitting an architect's letter confirming no assembly area in the gym exceeds approximately 6,200 square feet, the threshold that keeps required parking at 62 spaces under a shared agreement with the adjacent plaza at 7 Midway Road. Members also directed staff to begin researching a dedicated fitness center use category for the zoning bylaws, noting Milford currently has none.