Planning Board

The Planning Board is comprised of five elected, volunteer town residents of varied backgrounds. The Canton Planning Board generally reviews five different types of applications for residential, commercial, and industrial projects.

• Approval-Not Required (ANR): These involve the dividing of an existing property on an established roadway, a lot line adjustment, or a land swap. These are not considered subdivisions.

• Subdivision of Land: The creation of new lots by subdividing property, which also requires the construction of a new roadway to provide access to the new lots.

• Special Permit: The Planning Board is the Special Permit Granting Authority (SPGA) for Earth Removal and Flexible Subdivision Development listed under the "Special Permit Granting Authority" definition in the Zoning Bylaw.

• Site Plan Review: The Planning Board provides site plan review of all building, structure or additional impervious surface projects greater than 3,000 square feet (excluding single and two-family homes) and recommend site plans to the Zoning Board of Appeals for approval.  

• Scenic Ways: The Planning Board approves applications for tree cutting or removal, tearing down of stone walls (or portions) in the public right-of-way of scenic ways within Canton.  Scenic ways include: Chapman Street, Elm Street, Farm Street, Green Street, Greenlodge Street, Hemenway Drive, High Street, Indian Lane, Pleasant Street, Sherman Street (from Washington Street eastward to Pleasant Street), Walpole Street, Washington Street, and York Street.