Lanesborough Planning Board Appoints New Chair, Endorses Open Space Plan

LANESBOROUGH -- July 20, 2026, Lanesborough Planning Board reorganizes, endorses open space plan, and flags packed zoning agenda ahead. The four-member board voted unanimously Monday to issue a support letter for the town's updated Open Space and Recreation Plan, a 65-action-item document developed by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission following a 287-response community survey and an 84-page Williams College student research report, clearing one of the final steps before state submission. Chair Courtney Dondi stepped down effective close of the meeting, and Leanne Yeager was unanimously voted in as her replacement. With two board vacancies now open, members deferred appointments to the BRPC representative and Open Space and Recreation implementation committee roles until the seats are filled. Town planner Andrew warned that new state Department of Energy Resources solar and battery storage siting rules become mandatory October 1, that recent court decisions have sharply limited towns' ability to restrict those uses, and that the board should expect "at least one, but probably up to three large-scale developments" requiring special permits within six months, including potential activity at the Lanesborough mall property.