Hubbardston planning board authorizes advisory group to draft ecotourism/agricultural accessory bylaw options

The Town of Hubbardston Planning Board on Sept. 16 authorized town planner Alec (last name not specified in the record) to convene an advisory group to develop options for a rural enterprise overlay/ecotourism and agricultural accessory bylaw and return recommendations to the board within three meetings.

The vote followed a board discussion of the scope and workload for the topic and a suggestion to use a small advisory group to produce a more discrete options list. Christopher Monroe, chair of the Planning Board, said the board needed “a more defined list of options” and that smaller work products would make public outreach easier. The board agreed the advisory group should include at least one planning board member and one or two residents, and set a deadline of roughly two months (three regular meetings) for a report back to the board.

The motion to authorize the advisory group passed on a roll-call vote; members present voted in favor. The board did not record amendments to the motion. Board members discussed forming the group as an advisory committee for Alec so the planner could work directly with volunteers to draft options and reduce repeated full-board relitigation of points.

Members said the topic is broad and historically contentious and that smaller, staged deliverables would help the public digest potential changes. The board also acknowledged the topic’s overlap with ongoing projects and the need to prioritize Alec’s limited weekly hours. Leanne (last name not specified), who supports board administration, confirmed Alec’s time is limited to about five hours weekly for planning board projects.

The board named Mr. Carpenter (first name given later in the meeting as Peter Carpenter) to volunteer for the advisory group during the meeting; additional volunteers are expected to be identified outside the meeting. The board instructed staff to manage sign-up and to present the advisory group’s recommended options at a future meeting for full-board consideration.

The authorization does not itself change any zoning or adopt regulations; it directs staff to convene an advisory group and report options for the full board’s review and possible future action.