Planning Board advances state-mandated bylaw updates for fall meeting
Planning Board · Meeting of August 5, 2026
ESSEX — Planning Board moves forward with state-mandated bylaw updates for Special Fall Town Meeting, including higher penalties for zoning violations. Building Inspector Bill Sanborn requested the penalty increase from $20 to $200 per day for zoning violations, with Chairman Lisa O'Donnell to seek Town Counsel guidance on bylaw placement. Town Planner Valerie Massard is developing an inclusionary zoning bylaw for Board consideration August 19.
The Board agreed to add Battery Energy Storage Systems and data centers to uses requiring special permits, and agreed appropriate next steps include contacting Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki on designating a Local Government Representative for state-mandated consolidated permitting for small clean energy infrastructure projects effective October 1, 2026.
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Source: the Planning Board meeting of August 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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