Lenox Planning Board Adopts New Permit Fees, Adds $100 Form A Charge

LENOX — May 5, 2026 — Lenox Planning Board adopts new permitting fee schedule and corrects a ZBA referral error at May 5 meeting. The board voted five to one to adopt a revised fee structure proposed by town official Mike Canales, who had surveyed practices in comparable Massachusetts communities and found Lenox's schedule outdated. The most significant change shifts special permit fees to $200 plus the actual cost of advertising and certified mailings — matching the Select Board's existing model — replacing a flat $300 fee that could leave the town subsidizing applicants when notice costs run high. The board also introduced a new $100 fee for Form A applications, which had previously carried no charge; other comparable communities charge between $50 and $200 for the same filing. One member abstained, citing reservations about benchmarking fees against other towns without clearer cost justification. Canales also reminded members that the Planning Board cannot refer matters to the Zoning Board of Appeals on its own initiative — it may only vote to deny an application and inform the applicant of their independent right to appeal. The board separately endorsed a Form A plan for 9 South Street, transferring a small non-building lot between sisters, and bid farewell to Gary Pitney, who has served on the board since the early 1990s.