Acton Town Meeting Approves Insulet Tax Break, Arboretum Purchase, and Zoning Overhaul

ACTON -- May 5, 2026, Acton Town Meeting approves Insulet tax deal, $1.4 million arboretum expansion, and four zoning articles on night two. Meeting members voted by majority Tuesday to authorize Select Board negotiations on a tax increment financing agreement with Insulet Corporation, Acton's largest commercial taxpayer, for its proposed expansion into 35 Nagog Park; the company's 2017 TIF saw it surpass its projected 1,000-employee target, reaching 1,100 workers, with current negotiations anticipated to add 400 to 500 more jobs and $45 million to $55 million in new investment. By two-thirds majority, members approved the $1.4 million purchase of 5.8 acres at 46 Taylor Road to expand the Acton Arboretum, funded through $1 million in Community Preservation Act open space funds and up to $445,000 in bonding; the Acton Conservation Trust raised $100,000 from 81 contributors toward the purchase. Members also passed by two-thirds the Nagog Park Innovative Overlay District, which raises maximum building height from 36 to 50 feet and removes the floor area ratio cap in exchange for enhanced design and sustainability requirements, along with two additional zoning articles streamlining commercial permitting along Great Road and easing ZBA requirements for owners of nonconforming residential lots. Nearly $2.8 million in Community Preservation Act funds was appropriated across 14 projects including Town Hall Clock Tower restoration and a one-year Regional Housing Services Office contract.