Home / Archive / VOL. III NO. 12 06/15/2022 / Notes from the Planning Board (PB), June 7, Hybrid meeting

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VOL. III NO. 12 06/15/2022

Notes from the Planning Board (PB), June 7, Hybrid meeting

  • Marie Raftery
  • Nancy Socha
  • Wayne Slosek
  • Lis Wheeler
  • Gary Pitney
  • Kate Fletcher
  • Carl Sprague
  • Michael Canales
  1. Marie Raftery, Vice Chair called the meeting to order and thanked Bill Vogt for his service. Welcomed Lis Wheeler. Slosek also thanked Vogt and welcomed Wheeler. Pitney suggested Carmichael, as secretary send thank you note to Vogt for his service
  2. Rafferty opened floor to nominate new chair. Gary Pitney and Kate Fletcher were nominated. Pitney declined — Fletcher chair.
  3. Minutes approved as written
  4. 44 Main Street — sign request — White Construction. The size of sign within bylaw. What is written on sign, design, and colors are beyond purview of PB — sign approved
  5. Canales pointed out that the PB has had 5 different planners (as consultants) within relatively brief time “without much advance.” He said the PB was awarded $40,000/2 years — $80,000 of which $40,470 remains. That is, PB still has money voted at Town Meeting for planning consultants and Canales wants PB to handle it better with sharper focus.
    1. Does PB want no planner, to call on consultants per project or continue with once per week or how use money? Canales has to write contract and wants direction.
    2. Slosek asked if there was enough work to justify one day per week
    3. Raftery wanted PB to start one project at a time and complete it before moving to another
    4. Slosek wanted to be sure why they are looking at a bylaw — be sure any change is necessary, or were bylaws or ok as written?
    5. Someone asked if money is use or lose. Canales said no, if money not spent in a single year, it carries over.
    6. Decided to have planner from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in Town Offices once/week for 6 months and then evaluate.
    7. Pitney suggested PB work on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and sign bylaws
    8. Kara (BRPC) presented Bylaw as prepared so far.
      1. Slosek asked if it was necessary in addition to what is currently in bylaws
      2. Fletcher said original purpose of ADUs was to provide affordable housing.
      3. Raftery asked how does PB or Town enforce that?
      4. Canales said have to determine if and how something is enforceable before adding language to a bylaw. For example, if require 50% of ADUs be affordable — who determines what is affordable and how does Town enforce the requirement? Canales said do not put wording in that is not “verifiable and enforceable”
      5. Kara will continue work and present a draft bylaw
    9. Raftery asked Fletcher to put on the agenda discussions re: Lake and Pond Overlay District (LPOD) transfer from PB to ConCom until that issue resolved. Also asked that Kara be on agenda once a month to update PB
Photo: Lionel Delevingne

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