Egremont Zoning

Egremont has something called a zoning bylaw, but it isn't really.  It's what lawyers call a land use bylaw, because it doesn't create any zones, but rather just says what you can and can't do with land in Egremont.

Several years ago, the planning board proposed a rewrite of the bylaw that was rejected by the voters at a town meeting because it made too many changes, including some controversial ones that didn't go over well.  That proposed revision didn't even try to create zones.

Now the planning board is proposing major changes in the bylaw that will create zones and make other changes.  There's a public hearing on it scheduled for December 9.

New Marlborough very recently went through the same process.  That process culminated last week in the voters soundly rejecting it - by an overwhelming margin -  apparently for two primary reasons:  it made too many changes for townspeople to accept; and it wasn't adequately "sold" to the townspeople through the meetings, publicity and hand holding that are critically necessary for this type of action.

The Egremont planning board has a long history of proposing changes that fall flat with the townspeople. The planning board too often has come across as an imperious, "we know best" group that is viewed by townspeople as trying to inveigle them into creating more power in the planning board under the guise of protecting something.  In my opinion, that reputation is deserved. 

Perhaps that has changed.  And perhaps the planning board will learn from the New Marlborough experience.  The planning board needs to really reach out to townspeople - all of them - to discover what they think and to make changes to their proposal reflecting what they learn, even if that means dropping it completely or making changes that the individual members of the planning board don't agree with.  Holding a few public hearings isn't enough.  The people whose voices need to be heard include the ones who don't come to public hearings.

Town government has become increasingly cloistered in recent years.  The town hall denizens too often listen to themselves and their friends and make little or no effort to reach out to the citizenry.  Let's hope that doesn't happen for the zoning bylaw proposal.  

The Flynn Campaign Against Laura Continues

Flynn sent the following email to Laura, with copies to Bruce and Mary, after this Monday's meeting:

"Madame Chairman

 

I and other members of the Egremont Board of Selectman  were disappointed that you were not in attendance at last night’s meeting of the Board.  This was especially disconcerting considering that Mr. Tom Scanlon of the firm Scanlon and Associates was at the meeting to brief us and the community on the results of the recently completed audit his firm performed on the Town of Egremont finances for fiscal year 2012.  You being chair of the Finance Committee, I would have expected that you would have been there with your entire committee to hear his report and the factual discussion of the Management Letter, the Significant Deficiencies, and other matters.  However and fortunately, the Finance Committee was well represented by Tom Berkel, Ed Scarbro, and Ralph Noveck.

 

For your benefit and that of the entire town,  Mary will post the official management letter and accompanying report on the town’s website on Wednesday or Thursday when it is received as the Board of Selectmen released it officially to the public last evening as prior to last evening it was only an unofficial draft. 

 

Lukewarm Regards

 

Charles Flynn"

 

Laura sent the following email response to Flynn, with copies to Bruce, Mary and the finance committee members:

 

Your snotty e-mail to me of 11/5/13  is further evidence of your never ending campaign to force me off the finance committee.  You might spend your time more profitably doing your homework before taking hasty and often ill-advised actions at selectboard meetings.   My very best contributions to the town take place in the long hours I spend evaluating and making recommendations about town actions and in actions by the selectboard and others, not in attending selectboard meetings, especially if ill.  In my opinion the town would be better served if you attended fewer of them.