Planning Board

Bylaws, Documents & Special Permits

Overview

The Town of Alford is 11.6 square miles in size and its average elevation is 839 feet. There are approximately 17 miles of public roadways and 5 miles of private roadways. Alford is surrounded by hills and mountain of the Taconic Range. The Green River, a tributary of the Housatonic River, flows through the south-west corner of town, and the Alford Brook flows through the central part of town, eventually flowing into the Green River in neighboring Great Barrington. The Alford Brook was known to the Stockbridge Indians as Seekonk (Wild Goose). Several other brooks flow into these two waterways. To the north-east of town, Tom Ball Mountain peaks just over the town line in West Stockbridge.

The Alford Planning Board was created by Massachusetts State Statute, which defines its powers and duties. The role of the Planning Board is to maintain a comprehensive plan for the town that administers subdivision regulations in accordance with the state subdivision control law, to review residential special permit applications, and to make decisions and recommendations required by the town’s zoning bylaws and the state zoning act in regard to zoning amendments and rezoning petitions. The Planning Board assists the Select Board and other town departments and committees with making decisions on said planning topics.

The Planning Board is responsible for the following permits or approvals:

1.Site Plan Approval

• Any single or two-family structure with a gross floor area greater than 4,000 square feet, §10.4.1(c)
• Alterations within the Stream and Pond Overlay District, §10.4.1(a)
  • ​​​​​See also Special Permits, below
  • See also Plan, 300 Foot Buffer Around Water Bodies
• Certain alterations within the Flood Plain Overlay District, §10.4.1(b)
  • See also Special Permits, below
• Small-Scale and Medium-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Energy Systems, §8.0

2. Special Permits

• Driveways over 500 feet in length, §7.5.3
• Driveways with a grade over 6%, §7.5.4
• Common driveways, §7.5.6
• Construction of garage as appurtenant to Accessory Dwelling Unit, §8.5.5
• Various uses in Flood Plain Overlay District, §9.1.4
• Various uses in the Stream and Pond Overlay District, §9.2.4

See also Site Plan Review, above.

See also Plan, 300 Foot Buffer Around Water Bodies, below 

• Large-Scale Solar Energy Systems, §8.2.4
• Wireless Communications Facilities, §8.1

3. Form A, Approval Not Required Plans and Subdivision

Planning Board meetings are on the second Wednesday every month in the Town Hall at 6:00pm. The Planning Board may cancel a meeting if there is no business scheduled before the Board. Requests to be placed on the Planning Board agenda should be emailed to [email protected] at least 7 days before the meeting.

NOTE: Short-Term Rentals are only permitted in the Town of Alford as per section 8.4. A summary of some of the requirements:

• Only residents of the Town of Alford are permitted to short-term rent their houses;
• Short-term rentals are limited to 31 days a year, or up to 45 days if the owner is also living on site during the rental period;
• Short-term rentals must be registered with the Select Board, and have additional restrictions.