Frequently Asked Questions

There are three Residential zones (1/2-acre, 1-acre and 2-acre) as well as zones for:

• Business
• Conservancy
• Manufacturing-Industrial
• Medical-Professional
• Official or Open Space

Refer to the Dover Town Code Chapter 185-6 through 185-8 for information about the zoning districts in Dover. Refer to the end of Chapter 185 in the Dover Town Code for the zoning map.

Any owner wishing to subdivide land for development must present an application to the Planning Board. For a subdivision to be approved all lots must contain the minimum frontage and area requirements for its zoning district and the road must meet certain design standards. A public hearing and notification of abutters is required. 

The Planning Board Rules and Regulations (Chapter 248 of the Dover Town Code) include the specific requirements of the design and approval process.

The Dover Town Code Chapter 245-3 lists the roads subject to Scenic Road regulations. Any work planned within the right-of-way on a scenic road may require a Scenic Road hearing before the Planning Board.

The applicant must complete and submit a Determination of Need for a Scenic Road Hearing form. The Planning Board office then will determine whether the hearing is needed.

Hearings are required for plans to alter stone walls and/or removal of trees with a caliper of 1.5 inches or greater. If a hearing is needed, the applicant completes the Scenic Road Application form and submits it to the Planning Board along with the fee.

A plan to remove trees on a scenic road may require a Scenic Road Hearing before the Planning Board. The applicant must complete a Determination of Need for a Scenic Road Hearing form (PDF). The Planning Board office then determines whether the hearing is needed.

The Town does not have jurisdiction over trees on private property unless they are within the buffer zone of wetlands or a perennial stream. In such a case, you should contact the Conservation Commission to determine any approvals needed.

The Planning Board grants Special Permits for development in the Business, Manufacturing and Medical-Professional districts, and for proposed multi-family/elderly housing. On residential property you should check with the Building Department, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Health and/or Conservation Commission to determine which if any permits are needed for your proposed work.

The sign bylaw (Town Code Chapter 185-35) determine the types of permanent and temporary signs that may be placed on your property. Certain signs on residential properties and all business signs require approval of the Planning Board.

The Perfect Square refers to the requirement that a buildable lot be large enough to contain a perfect square with dimensions equal to the frontage requirement for that zoning district. For example, in the R-2 District, the lot must have 200 feet of frontage and be capable of containing a perfect square that is 200 by 200 feet. No lot may be narrower than its minimum required frontage between the right-of way line (frontage) and the required perfect square.

Refer to 185a Schedule of Dimensional Requirements (PDF) in the Dover Town Code for the measurements of the minimum frontage required.

See Schedule of Filing Fees and Engineering Review Deposits (PDF).

To determine your property lines, you should hire an engineer to survey your property.

There is a plan known as an ANR (Approval not Required) so you should hire an engineer to survey the two properties and create the ANR and possibly an Attorney to oversee the transfer of land.

According to Section 4-12 of the Code of the Town of Dover, “there shall be a 5-member Planning Board elected on a rotating basis of 1 member each year for a 5-year term. The Planning Board’s duties and authority shall include, but shall not be limited to, those specified in M.G.L. ch. 41, § 81A et seq. An associate member of the Planning Board shall be elected at the Annual Town Election for a two-year term. Any vacancy in the position shall be filled in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Chapter 41, Section 81A, of the Massachusetts General Laws. The Chairman of the Planning Board, when acting as special permit granting authority, may designate the associate member to sit on this Board for the purposes of acting on a Special Permit application in the case of the absence, inability to act, or conflict of interest on the part of any member of the Planning Board or in the event of a vacancy on this board.