A self-proclaimed “Mr. Mom,” Arnie Johnson is running for his third, five-year term on Rochester Planning Board.

Although he is uncontested, Johnson wants voters to know what he’s about.

Johnson grew up on a farm in Hanson, and moved to Rochester in 1995 after visiting the town during the summers.

He said he enjoyed getting involved in the community from the start.

Johnson recently quit his job at a wholesale produce company to open his own market in Marion later this year.

In the meantime, he is  playing “Mr. Mom” to his and wife Debbie’s three children.

Much like at home, Johnson said his position on the Planning Board means he has many responsibilities.

“It’s a small town, everybody wears a lot of hats,” he said.

For eight of his ten years on the board, Johnson has been Chair and said his mode of operation is to let everyone’s voice be heard.

“I listen to what people say, try to ask questions and get into the common sense of it,” he said.

In his previous terms, Johnson worked on the Open Space Acquisition Committee and helped survey the residents to see how they would like to see space used in town.

He also worked with the board to update the town’s Master Plan.

Johnson said his business experience helped him on the board.

“Being in business a lot of years, I bring organization to the board,” he said. “I’m a very process oriented guy. We start at ‘A’ and go through to ‘Z.’”

As such, the incumbent hopes to see two Planning Board projects completed in his third term – the home business law and the Village District Overlay.

For the former, the board is rewriting Rochester’s home business laws to submit to Fall Town Meeting.

“In this economy, we feel that more people are possibly going to work out of their homes,” said Johnson.

“We want to make sure that they have a good application process to go through. On the other side we want to make sure that their abutters are properly protected.”

The Village District Overlay is a plan seven years in the making that would allow “mixed use” zoning in Rochester center. This would permit limited commercial use on residential properties.

“As gas increases in price and the town grows in population, the need for some smaller types of businesses will increase,” he said.

Johnson said that the project would give property owners more options with their land and the regulations would prevent businesses from over-expanding.

This, he said would address neighborhood concerns about preserving the look and feel of the area.

“We try and have a balance between development and open space with an eye towards the town’s heritage,” said Johnson.

Johnson said he also maintains good relationships with other government committees, talking with various departments weekly and staying updated on their projects to eliminate conflicts in rules and regulations.

As the economy rebounds and more business develops, Johnson envisions a busy third term.

“It’s important to give back to the community,” he said.