Notes from the Planning Board

In summary: PB Funds New Consultant for Cottage Era Bylaw Revision/Replacement

The Planning Board voted to recommend that the Town Administrator and Select Board write an RFP for a consultant to create an Open Space Residential Design bylaw. The Planning Board opted not to accept the bylaw written by the prior consultant, Joel Russell, and is instead recommending the Town hire a new consultant.

Minutes from the Planning Board Meeting: November 17, 2020

"Present: Chair Vogt, Vicechair Rasmussen, Member Pitney, Member Slosek, Member Raftery, Member Socha and Jennifer Carmichael, Secretary; Absent: Member Fletcher.

The minutes of the last meeting were approved.

The Special Permit for 35 Glendale Road was requested to change an accessory building into a second residence (guest house). The property is in the R1 zoned district and has approximately 6 acres. Town Counsel said the Special Permit could be granted if it is in compliance with section 6.3.6; however, if the second residence is ever rented it needs to be rented as affordable housing. The permit was granted.

The Special Permit for 24 Lake Drive: the Conservation Commission approved the house and area for the septic system. The project is to build a 1200 sq. ft. house, a 3-bedroom septic system and well and a driveway within the buffer zone to the wetlands which extends to the outlet of the Stockbridge Bowl. They would like to build a boardwalk to have access to the waterfront out to a dock. The boardwalk goes through the LPOD (Lake and Pond Overlay District). The boardwalk will be on helical piers put in by hand. It will be 42 inches wide, 32 inches high with half inch spacing between the boards. No vegetation will be uprooted, light will pass through the boards to allow light to reach the vegetation underneath. The dock will attach to the boardwalk and extend out 25 feet and be 200 sq. ft.; it will take up only a quarter of the distance across the outlet. Conservation has approved the boardwalk plan as presented tonight. A motion to grant the permit carried.

The Special Permit for 20 Mahkeenac Shores Road for a change to the footprint, the elevation, and the style of the house. The Conservation Commission issued a stop-work order. The height and width are unchanged from approved plans, the mass of the building has been decreased by removing the roof dormers. Abutters objected to the placement of the boulders along the shoreline. There was another meeting with the Conservation Commission proposed. The public hearing was continued until December 1st."

The presentation by Randall Arendt received positive feedback overall. Those who objected saw the Arendt plan inappropriate for Stockbridge, and also objected to the expenditure for another consultant. However, calling it "familiarizing the voters with the conservation open space and residential bylaws", the PB voted to continue to hire more consultants.

"Motion: The Planning Board recommends under the provision of MA General Law, Chapter 30B (the procurement law) the Town of Stockbridge Select Board seek quotes from a sole source provider or at least three qualified consultants. The Town of Stockbridge is seeking quotes under the provisions of MGL Chapter 30 B for a single practitioner or team of two or more planning consultants, with Massachusetts experience in writing successful conservation aka open space residential bylaws for small towns, and who have professional and or planning board experience working on the implementation of bylaws that can be used to guide their recommendations. The person or team hired will be familiar with the information in the concepts outlined in "Open Space Residential Development: Preserving Networks of Conservation Lands in a Density-Neutral Way" presented to the Town on November 5 and available on Zoom. They will review the Town's existing bylaws and regulation and other draft or enacted bylaws dealing with the subject matter and through an information-gathering process draft bylaw(s) and possibly regulations for review and adoption at the Planning Board hearing and Town Meeting. The work is time sensitive with a goal of completion of the bylaw for the 2021 Town Meeting." The motion carried.