Lenox Planning Board Reelects Chair, Eyes Solar Bylaw Update Before Town Meeting

LENOX — May 14, 2026 — Lenox Planning Board reorganizes and flags solar bylaw review ahead of new state permitting portal. The board unanimously re-elected Brandy as chair, Pedro as vice chair, and Jackie as clerk at its May 14 meeting, and confirmed a full slate of committee appointments including a recommendation to the Select Board to name Malcolm Murphy as the alternate delegate to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Staff planner Chris briefed members on a new Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources online permitting portal — set to launch in July — that will centralize solar project applications using a site-suitability scoring tool; the board noted that projects over 25 megawatts bypass local permitting authority entirely, and that Lenox's solar bylaw may need updating. BRPC has already been awarded a technical-assistance grant to review the bylaw. During citizen comment, three residents urged the board to enforce tree-protection conditions at the 546 Main Street apartment site before excavation begins, saying an excavator was parked within the drip line of a large maple and that developer communication had been "wishy-washy"; staff committed that fencing consistent with prior Tree Committee representations would be in place before digging starts.