Great Barrington Planning Board Sets Public Hearings on Proposed Zoning Amendments

The Great Barrington Planning Board will hold public hearings on several zoning bylaw amendments on Thursday, March 10 and 24.

Each hearing is at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

The Planning Board will send its recommendations on these bylaw changes to the Annual Town Meeting in June, for voter approval.

On March 10, the board will consider:

• Amendments to the Floodplain Overlay District regulations and definitions.These changes are needed to reflect at least the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program so that the community can continue to participate in the program.
• Amendments to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) regulation will make sure that square footage measurements are consistent with other portions of the zoning bylaw. Instead of measuring accessory dwellings by gross square footage, units will be measured by net usable square feet. This will also distinguish an ADU’s living area from other areas of an accessory building, such as utility or garage areas.
• Clerical amendments to the bylaw regarding Lodging Houses and Tourist Homes for Transient Guests will clarify definitions of these rental facilities in the bylaw language.

The bylaw change details and meeting log-in link are here.

Then, on March 24, the board will consider amendments regarding two-family use of a single-family lot. These amendments correct inconsistencies in the Town’s zoning regulations governing two-family residential uses. It will also ensure that two-family residential use of a single lot, with two separate principal structures, is not overly restrictive.