Voters in Barnard on Tuesday okayed the incorporation of stricter ridgeline development standards into the town’s zoning regulations.
The change to the zoning by-laws was approved by a 150-69 margin at a special Town Meeting conducted via Australian ballot. Of the 750 registered voters in Barnard, 219 cast ballots in the special election on the proposed ridgeline review standards.
The approved changes to the town’s regulations do not preclude future development along ridges in the town, but instead are largely aimed at aesthetics, particularly regarding minimizing the extent to which future development can be viewed from lower-lying parts of the community. The bylaw changes approved by voters on Tuesday address such issues as forest covers, the placement of structures, landscaping, screening, and lighting.
The suggested by-laws initially forwarded to the selectboard by the Barnard Planning Commission (BPC) were the subject of a public hearing before the town governing body on March 19, and then the board slated Tuesday’s special Town Meeting to give the public the opportunity to weigh in on the matter. At the time, Barnard Selectboard vice chair Richard Lancaster, who also served as the board’s liaison to the BPC and its Ridgeline Subcommittee, said he was committed to a robust public process regarding the now-enacted ridgeline standards. “We have a democratic process that has to play out,” Lancaster said in March.
With Tuesday’s 68% to 32% tally in favor of the new ridgeline standards, Lancaster’s expectations have been met. The new ridgeline bylaws also include new standards for driveways, private roads, and steep slopes, aimed at addressing concerns about potentially excessive rainwater runoff from town ridgetops.
