Charlton’s Planning Board has held off on Amazon’s proposed personal-vehicle delivery program while seeking a closer look at traffic around the existing warehouse. It also approved a separate Worcester Road gas station and five apartments, requested revisions to the town’s housing plan, and heard concerns about the unfinished Ponnakin Hill subdivision.

Meanwhile, sewer customers will see higher rates for usage beginning October 1, and the Select Board is taking more time to weigh senior-center options.

This edition catches up on the past two weeks, including the September 2 Planning Board and Water and Sewer Commission meetings and the September 8 Select Board meeting. The links below take you to the relevant public discussions and official documents.

Amazon wants to add a last-mile delivery operation at 53 Sturbridge Road, with independent contractors collecting packages in their own vehicles.

The proposal presented September 2 would allow up to 700 drivers a day, generating 1,400 one-way vehicle trips: 700 arrivals and 700 departures. The applicant’s representative said the intended starting operation would be smaller, with 700 serving as the proposed ceiling.

Most dispatches would occur between 3:45 and 6:45 a.m. The applicant proposed excluding the 7–8 a.m. and 5–6 p.m. rush-hour windows and returning for periodic review. Those are proposed operating limits, not conditions of an approved permit. Watch the proposed operation and traffic numbers.

The board’s questions went beyond the new program. The town’s traffic reviewer identified discrepancies needing explanation in the existing warehouse’s traffic reports, concerns about the Route 20/Route 169 intersection, and possible additional measures at the Route 169 driveway. Members also discussed traffic diverting onto local roads and how any delivery cap would be enforced.

The board continued the application to October 7 and supported additional review of the warehouse’s traffic-monitoring reports. It also asked for the facility’s operator to participate in the next discussion. Amazon Flex was not approved at this meeting. Watch the traffic reviewer’s explanation and the next steps.

In a separate case, the board approved Hatem Enterprises’ proposal near Worcester Road and Old Worcester Road: a gas station, a 5,000-square-foot convenience store, a drive-through and five two-bedroom apartments upstairs.

The gas-station approval includes operating hours of 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The apartment approval requires at least one unit to receive affordable-housing status that allows it to count toward Charlton’s subsidized housing inventory.

The applicant proposed keeping the Old Worcester Road access for emergency use, with customer access from Worcester Road. The discussion also covered traffic, lighting, water supply and screening from neighboring homes.

These votes grant Planning Board approvals; they do not mean the project has opened or finished the remaining permitting process. Watch the project overview and approval votes.

The board did not adopt the draft Housing Production Plan on September 2. Members wanted language about pursuing zoning changes softened to considering or evaluating them, and sought more clarity about which existing homes can count toward the town’s affordable-housing inventory.

The planning director will work with the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission on revisions. Review and acceptance are listed again on the September 16 agenda. The plan discussion itself did not approve a housing development or change the zoning bylaw. Watch the housing-plan discussion.

Other developments worth following:

The Water and Sewer Commission voted September 2 to increase sewer rates for usage beginning October 1, 2026, with the change appearing in bills beginning January 2027.

For unmetered residential customers, the quarterly charge increases from $77.83 to $90 per bedroom. For a three-bedroom property billed on that basis, that means $270 per quarter instead of $233.49, an increase of $36.51.

The commission also approved increases to metered and commercial charges and excess-strength wastewater fees. Members cited the need to keep revenue ahead of expenses. The town’s linked rate sheet still showed the older schedule when reviewed; customers with questions about their billing category can contact Water and Sewer at 508-248-4953. Watch the rate motion and vote; view the previous rate sheet.

A separate vote increased the sewer connection privilege fee to $12,000 per equivalent dwelling unit, effective October 1. Properties that previously paid a qualifying Phase 2 betterment would pay the difference between that payment and the new fee. This is separate from regular sewer bills and a homeowner’s construction costs to connect. Watch the connection-fee discussion.

The commission also extended its sewer-capacity allocation policy through August 3, 2028, or until the allocated capacity is reached. Although called a moratorium, the policy reserves capacity for residential and commercial growth and allows commission review of larger requests. Read the town’s posted notice.

The senior/community-center feasibility committee continues to favor purchasing and renovating the former Charlton Furniture property. At the September 8 Select Board meeting, committee representatives reported that the proposed purchase price had fallen from $1.8 million to $1.6 million, and that the owner would remove the separate white building.

That purchase figure is not the total cost of creating the center.

Select Board members wanted more information about the alternative of building on town-owned land near the police station, including the property's deed provisions and the potential to address police parking needs. Committee representatives argued that the furniture-property proposal was further developed and would accommodate both senior and broader community uses.

The board left the choice for September 22. It did not authorize a property purchase or approve construction funding. The feasibility committee also meets September 14 at 4 p.m. to discuss how to proceed. Watch the updated proposal, the next-step discussion and view the committee agenda.

After a resident requested public review of Charlton’s Flock license-plate-reader cameras, the Select Board voted to place the issue on its September 22 agenda. The request raised questions about privacy, data sharing, costs and oversight. The board did not vote September 8 to end or expand the system. Watch the request and agenda vote.

The board also voted to reduce the town’s death-certificate fee to zero. A separate proposal for additional dog-license fee relief for seniors and veterans remains pending; the board approved a Town Meeting warrant placeholder while awaiting legal guidance. Watch the fee discussion and votes.

On energy and development rules, the Planning Board discussed preparing an application for funding to help represent the town in battery-storage proceedings, along with possible zoning language for data centers. Neither discussion amounted to a grant award or an adopted data-center restriction. On September 8, the Select Board approved administrative assignments for consolidated clean-energy permitting and an October 1 implementation date. Watch the Planning Board report and Select Board action.

The Dudley-Charlton Regional School District is seeking authorization for $11,183,734 in capital projects. The districtwide vote is Tuesday, September 29, noon–8 p.m. Charlton residents vote at Heritage School, 34 Oxford Road. Read the district’s project information.

The town’s posted registration deadline is Friday, September 18 at 5 p.m. The Board of Registrars will hold a registration session that day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Charlton Public Library, 40 Main Street. The notice also lists online and mail registration options. Questions can go to the Town Clerk’s Office at 508-248-2249. Read the official voter notice.

Add to Google Calendar: Senior center · Planning Board · Voter registration · Select Board · School-capital vote.

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The Town Minute is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the Town of Charlton. This report draws on public meeting recordings and official documents. Approved minutes and written decisions remain the official records.