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Braffton selectboard backs planning commission letter opposing state land-use rule changes
Summary
On May 4, 2026 the Braffton Selectboard voted to send an oppositional letter drafted by the planning commission to state officials about recent land‑use rule changes, after members debated the letter's tone, statutory basis and whether the commission had acted independently.
On May 4, 2026 the Braffton Selectboard voted to send an oppositional letter prepared by the town's planning commission to state officials challenging recent state land‑use rule changes discussed in the meeting.
The debate, introduced during the planning commission report, centered on whether the planning commission had acted on its own or on behalf of the selectboard and whether the letter's language was appropriately framed. Eric Stevens, who identified himself as a board speaker during the discussion, defended the letter's forceful language: "The need for strong language is that this type of legislation, confiscation of property rights, is not something that is going to be ended by just canceling period 3 in road rule," he said, arguing state action has reduced local control in past rulemaking.
Board members reviewed statutory citations raised in the discussion, including references to Title 24 provisions cited during the meeting. Some members questioned particular wording in the draft (one raised concerns that the draft used the term "zoning" in a way that might be legally imprecise for statewide rules), and others said the tone was warranted because earlier changes had taken effect with little local input. The planning commission presented the letter and requested that the selectboard sign on; the board voted to send the letter with selectboard support.
The action does not itself change state law. At the meeting members described the vote as an expression of local opposition and asked staff to forward the planning commission's draft and the selectboard's endorsement to the governor's office and relevant committees. The selectboard did not record a roll‑call tally in the public transcript provided.
The selectboard framed the vote as part of broader efforts to press state officials to allow greater local participation in land‑use decisions. The board said it will transmit the letter and continue monitoring any follow‑up from state agencies or legislators.
