Planning Board signals phase-only approval of Coptic church expansion

WAYLAND -- December 17, 2025, Wayland Planning Board signals phase-only approval of Coptic church expansion at 169 Rice Road. The board's straw poll favored approving only Phase 1, the church building, utilities and parking, citing the town's five-year completion rule against the applicant's 12-year, three-phase timeline. Chair Annette Lewis told the applicant the project, which grows the church from roughly 11,000 to 119,000 square feet, cannot be approved as a whole under existing site-plan regulations. Attorney Jonathan Silverstein warned of federal RLUIPA litigation, and the applicant's representative said "a church without Sunday school is not a church." Conservation Agent Linda rejected proposed off-site invasives mitigation on town land across Rice Road. After a recess, the board voted 5-0 to continue the hearing to Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. via Zoom while the applicant pursues conditions covering the full project within five years.