Development Guide

Read or download our thirty page 2022 Guide to Development

Everything starts with the Building and Land Use Department.

This is where you fill out applications and receive direction on what is required. Commercial development will require permits, licenses and approvals. These will come from one or more town departments and boards, depending on project scope. Projects vary widely. Some will be simple like a new business taking over from an existing business. Others will involve public hearings, zone changes, engineering studies, and government agency signoffs. The purpose of this guidebook is to help you navigate the approval processes.

Please keep in mind that this is just a guide, containing summary information only. As a developer, it is your responsibility to obtain copies of all applicable regulations so you can learn firsthand the requirements and standards by which your project will be evaluated. No one else can do this for you or take away your responsibility for complying with these rules and regulations. Familiarity with the rules and regulations at the beginning of a development project helps facilitate the approval process and can avoid costly and time-consuming design changes after substantial engineering or architectural work has been done. Many developers retain Land Use Attorneys and Professional Civil Engineering Firms to manage the process and avoid mistakes.