ZBA grants special permit for Berkshire Drive porch

Zoning Board of Appeals · Meeting of August 20, 2026

Williamstown's Zoning Board of Appeals granted a special permit for a covered front porch at 130 Berkshire Drive. The 5-0 roll-call vote came after members weighed a variance under the state's rewritten Chapter 40A standard and chose the special permit route for a pre-existing nonconforming house. Applicant Linda Archibald's representative said the 30-foot porch would sit about 36.1 feet from the road edge, against a 30-foot standard.

The board also approved, 5-0, a 48-inch by 48-inch carved sign for Black Sheep Needlepoint at 100 Water Street, with downward-facing lighting, and approved minutes of its May 21 meeting. One member said he would "rather not be a test case in Massachusetts."

In the full story:

• Chair's briefing on the Chapter 40A variance changes
• The Archibald petition, 130 Berkshire Drive
• Black Sheep Needlepoint sign, 100 Water Street
• Temporary banners and other communications
• Minutes and adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,591 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting of August 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.