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Planning Board advances proposed zoning changes on trailers, fences and glamping; hearing date to be set
Summary
The Chester Planning Board reviewed proposed amendments to the trailers section of the zoning bylaw, discussed fence standards after a problematic Middlefield Road replacement, and recommended combining glamping and other bylaw updates before setting public hearing dates.
At its March 31, 2026 meeting the Town of Chester Planning Board reviewed several proposed zoning bylaw updates, including a detailed amendment to section 3.4 on trailers, a recommended change to the glamping bylaw requiring building permits for glamping structures, and a broader fence bylaw update prompted by a contested replacement on Middlefield Road.
Chair Liz Massa presented the proposed trailers definition to clarify that a "Trailer" is a vehicular-type portable structure without a permanent foundation used primarily for temporary living accommodations (for recreational or travel use) and that trailers parked or stored on the property of a principal residence may not be on vacant lots. The draft sets a parking setback provision: "If parked outside of a garage, it shall be parked or stored no closer to the street line than 50 ft. and/or the actual building setback and screened from view with 6 ft/8 ft foliage or fencing," and says trailers shall not be used as a residence or dwelling but only for storage or parking. The board said comments and text are not finalized and suggested streamlining requirements to achieve the desired outcome.
On glamping, the board distributed a recommended modification that would require a building permit for all glamping structures and agreed to delay setting a public hearing date so the change can be considered together with the other bylaw revisions under development (fences, trailers, poultry). The board recommended referring the poultry rules into the fence bylaw review rather than handling poultry separately.
Board members raised concerns about a fence repair or replacement on Middlefield Road that appeared to be "spiteful" and not professionally installed; the minutes record that pallet fencing is not an acceptable material. The board suggested updating the fence bylaw to align with applicable state law (transcribed in the minutes as "State MLG - Section 2"). The minutes record no update to the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) bylaw and note that the ADU bylaw remains under discussion.
The board did not set final public hearing dates during this meeting. With no further business the board adjourned at 6:40 PM.
