Manchester Select Board Opens Town Meeting Warrant, Advances Four Zoning Articles

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — February 17, 2026 — Manchester-by-the-Sea Select Board opens town meeting warrant and advances four zoning articles. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to open the annual warrant and refer four Planning Board zoning articles — covering downtown mixed-use development, senior housing, inns, and ADU bylaw updates — to a required Planning Board public hearing set for March 9. Town Administrator Tony Marques reported the FY27 operating budget is currently balanced with a $26,465 surplus, though a final cost from curbside refuse contractor Republic Services remains outstanding; health insurance is now projected to rise roughly 15 percent rather than the originally budgeted 20 percent. Five capital projects totaling roughly $30 million in proposed borrowing — including a $16.5 million PFAS wastewater facility and a $5 million Central Street culvert — are headed to town meeting, with the Community Preservation Committee agreeing to contribute up to $350,000 toward Rotunda restoration rather than taking on long-term CPC debt. The board also voted 5-0 to allow the high school indoor track team to use the Rose Hill Cemetery extension loop for interval workouts during the 2026-2027 season, citing a hardship exception in the cemetery's rules, and approved a two-day mobile sauna pilot at White Beach for March 21-22.