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Select Board approves updated planning and zoning fees; tent fee struck
Summary
After a second reading and public comment, the board approved increased building‑permit and public‑hearing fees and added new fee categories; the board removed the proposed temporary‑tent fee pending further discussion.
The Select Board approved a revised schedule of Planning & Zoning and building-permit fees at the June 1 meeting after a second reading and public comment.
Municipal Manager Penny Wu presented the fee table showing increases across permit categories. The proposed changes raise the base fees for single-family residential permits (from $165 + $0.10/SF to $450 base + $0.15/SF) and add or adjust rates for two-family, non-habitable accessory buildings, motels/inns, subdivisions, sign permits, and others. New proposed fees included demolition ($200), temporary tents/seasonal structures ($250), and solar/utility/wind permits (residential $500, commercial $1,000). Resident Eric Alden questioned the differing square-foot charges for single-family versus two-family units and said some increases (for example sign permits and abutter mailing fees) felt high.
After discussion the board voted to approve the updated fee schedule but struck the section on tents to allow further review; Chair George Tucker Jr. amended his original motion to approve the fees with the tents section removed and the motion passed unanimously.
Board members said the increases reflect labor and processing costs that have not been raised in about 20 years and that abutter-notice costs can be substantial for large subdivisions. The board requested that Erin Ladd (planning staff) be invited back for additional discussion on event/tent regulation at a future meeting.
