The Reset

by Bruce Blair

What Happened to Our Planning Board?

After reading the recent Updates editorial, "Penny-wise", it seems like a good time to ask this question. The past two years have been a time of concern and confusion. The focus on a large-scale development bylaw immediately dominated Board agendas, while the original issues around the Cottage Era Bylaw, a priority, soon drifted into limbo.

There was little or no public engagement regarding this agenda. The reasons for writing the new bylaw were vague. It turned out our population was not declining — there were even kids living here! Nobody demonstrated that a reduction in property taxes, already among the lowest in the state, would result from building a dense complex of condos or houses. Lenox had a lot of new development and tax increased. There was no data or research to document the infrastructure problems this bylaw might create.

The only event to include the public involved a presentation on open space design by consultant Randall Arendt, a suburban development planner. Then the Planning Board Chair creating a closed-door sub-committee to write the new development by-law draft with another consultant. These meetings went on for nearly four months. To my knowledge, there are no minutes.

Finally, the sub-committee abruptly ceased, and the public was invited to comment at meetings. The consultant presented a series of drafts, and it became apparent that the town was waiving its right to regulate some aspects of high-density developments as long as some open space was preserved by the developer. The formulas were complex, unwieldy, and brought no consensus.

And still the Cottage Era Bylaw remained unresolved. The new bylaw was finally dropped after thousands of tax dollars in consulting expenses had been spent.

Meanwhile, people continued to apply for building permits for new homes, and hearings became increasingly complex, especially around the lake. Huge homes were permitted in the Lake Overlay District. The Board did its best to understand and fulfill its responsibilities, but architects and attorneys seemed to have our number.

Our Master Plan, the town's vision of it's future, is the legal document that precedes and justifies the kind of major bylaw change some Board members tried to create on their own. Our Plan remains the oldest in the region at 25 years, its data useless.

The Planning Board needs a reset. It's time for all of us as a town to look ahead together.

Photo: Blue Moon Images/Dana Goedewaagen