Planning Board

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 mountains of the Taconic Range. The Green River, a tributary of the Housatonic River, flows through the southwest 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 northeast of town, Tom Ball Mountain peaks just over the town line in West Stockbridge, with its western face being somewhat marshy.

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 conducts Site Plan Reviews for:

  1. Any alterations in the Stream and Pond Overlay District;
  2. Any alteration with the Flood Plain Overlay District;
  3. Any single or two family structure with a gross floor area of over 4000 square feet.

The Planning Board issues Special Permits for driveways in excess of 500 feet in length, Special Permits for driveway grades in excess of 5%, Special Permits for common driveways serving not more than two lots and Special Permits for certain uses in Stream & Pond Overlay District.

Planning Board meetings are on the second Wednesday every month in the Town Hall at 7:30pm. The Planning Board may cancel a meeting if there is no business scheduled before the Board. In order to assure that the meeting will be held, it is advised that the Board be notified at least seven days ahead of time of an individual’s desire to appear before the Board.

Board Members

NamePhone
Larry Gadd

(413) 528-0988

Alexandra Glover

(413) 528-5058

Morton Josel

(413) 528-5716

Shirley Mueller

(413) 528-6482