Planning Board approves bylaw recodification language; piggery debate continues.
Planning Board endorses bylaw recodification with contested piggery classification. Chair Bob Hartt and the board voted four to one (with one abstention by Jordan Archey) to retain language classifying piggeries as a by-right agricultural use, citing the Right to Farm bylaw's inclusion of swine and
Planning Board · Meeting of February 24, 2026
NEW MARLBOROUGH — Planning Board endorses bylaw recodification with contested piggery classification. Chair Bob Hartt and the board voted four to one (with one abstention by Jordan Archey) to retain language classifying piggeries as a by-right agricultural use, citing the Right to Farm bylaw's inclusion of swine and consistency with state law. Residents from Aberdeen Lane objected, citing private well contamination risks and lack of local commercial oversight; Hartt directed them to the Select Board for remedies outside the Planning Board's scope.
The broader recodification, conducted with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, reorganizes sections on definitions, permitting, use regulations, dimensional requirements, and special regulations into a user-friendly format without substantive language changes. Bylaw amendments must be approved at Annual Town Meeting.
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Source: the Planning Board meeting of February 24, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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