SABATTUS — Right now in town when it comes to development, almost anything goes.

Officials are going to spend the next year giving that more thought.

Town Manager Tony Ward said selectmen and the Planning Board/Ordinance Review Committee will meet June 6 to outline what zoning options they’d like to research and consider with the aim of having residents vote on a proposal at the 2018 town meeting.

“Right now, you can build what you want, anywhere, except in the watershed district or the reservoir district,” said Ward.

Having defined commercial and residential districts could benefit the town in two ways, he said.

Residential areas can know they’ll stay residential “and we can allow for controlled growth in a certain area,” Ward said. “A lot of businesses, when they start looking at where they want to move, they’re looking at zoned areas because they want to ensure they’re going to be with like businesses or like establishments, that way they’re not getting the complaints of a neighbor; it makes business much easier for them.”

The June meeting is the first step in the year-long process.

The 2017 town meeting, meanwhile, is at 6 p.m. Thursday at the town office.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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