Planning Board approves Hawthorne Street lot split
Planning Board · Meeting of August 25, 2026
Stockbridge Planning Board endorses Hawthorne Street lot split despite zoning shortfall. The board voted 4-0 on August 25 to endorse a Form A plan dividing the two-house property at 90 Hawthorne Street, owned by Michael Lynch and Susan Baker, into two lots under the state's subdivision-exemption law. Donna Brewer, presenting the legal analysis remotely, told the board it "does not have discretion" to reject the plan because both houses predate Stockbridge's subdivision control law.
The resulting Lot A carries just 160 feet of frontage and one acre, short of the zoning district's 300-foot and four-acre minimums, creating what Brewer called a zoning violation that will fall to the building inspector and zoning board of appeals, not the Planning Board, to resolve. Vice Chair Peter Barinski presided; members Wayne, Liz and remote member Don Chabon joined him in the unanimous vote.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,366 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of August 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Berkshire County News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news