Hubbardston planning board revives agritourism/eco‑tourism bylaw and readies sandpit overlay public forum

The Hubbardston Planning Board voted to resume work on a proposed agricultural‑accessory/ecotourism bylaw and directed Town Planner Alec (last name not specified) to prepare a diagnostic memo and draft revisions for the board to consider.

The matter matters to residents because the draft bylaw would change which farm‑based activities are allowed by right, which require permit review and how large events are handled — potentially affecting land owners, the town’s tax base and town services.

Board Chair Chris (last name not specified) and planner Alec framed the action as the next step in a multi‑year process. Alec told the board he would “prepare in advance of the meeting a memo, what I’ll call a diagnostic work specifically on the original proposed agricultural accessory ecotourism bylaw,” and said he would pair that memo with drafts submitted by members of the public for review.

Board members and multiple public speakers described prior efforts and why the board should revisit the draft. Katie Young, a Rydell Road resident who worked on the text with her husband, said she and other volunteers had edited the draft to simplify event rules and to separate large‑event permitting from building‑related special permits. “I still feel like there’s a major fault in it,” Young said, arguing that a formal special permit should apply to new structures (for example, a pavilion or brewery) while a separate “large event” form should cover temporary gatherings so…