Present:
- Bill Vogt, Chair
- Marie Raftery
- Nancy Socha
- Kate Fletcher via Zoom
- Carl Sprague via Zoom
- Jennifer Carmichael, secretary, Patrick White, Select Board
- Many citizens present via Zoom identified if they speak
- Approval of minutes deferred until next meeting
- White presented a proposal called Flex Parcel Zoning meant to encourage building of moderately priced housing. (Click here to read all four pages)
- Vogt asked how this relates to the work of the Housing Trust Fund. White said he wanted to encourage a range of housing — low income, moderate, and upper income. Evidently the Housing Trust Fund is focused on low-income housing and this proposal is meant to encourage, and be an incentive for, moderate-priced housing.
- Fletcher suggested this was essentially cluster housing and said our bylaw allows that now
- Raftery asked if this requires a new bylaw or bylaw revision?
- After the Board commented, the public was invited to speak. Owens cited White’s introduction in which he said the intent of Stockbridge zoning 40 years ago was not to exclude working class housing or make Stockbridge unaffordable for folks who work in Town. Owens agreed and said it was a case in point that the marketplace is a stronger force than zoning. Example, 1700 square foot, two bed two bath attached dwellings in Stockbridge today are selling for $469,000 – $629,000. Owens doubted practicality of social engineering through zoning and feared unintended consequences.
- White suggested Canales and the Berkshire Regional Planning consultant to work on Flex Parcel proposal — no vote was taken.
- Chair asked to postpone discussion of Cottage Era Bylaw as two members (Gary Pitney and Wayne Slosek) were not present.
Meeting adjourned
