Stockbridge Planning Board Adopts New Fee Schedule for Permits and Applications

STOCKBRIDGE -- May 5, 2026, Stockbridge Planning Board adopts new permit fee schedule and bids farewell to 30-year member Gary Pitney. The board voted 5-0-1 at its May 5 meeting to adopt a revised fee schedule proposed by Town Administrator Mike Canales, setting a $100 charge for Form A applications, previously free, and restructuring special permit fees to $200 plus actual advertising and certified mailing costs, replacing a flat $300 fee that Canales said risked leaving the town in deficit. Canales had surveyed 65 comparable municipalities and found special permit fees ranging from $350 to $700 with "no rhyme or reason" across towns. One member abstained, with another raising concerns that stacking permit fees on top of new state energy code requirements could price out young families, saying, "When you start adding them all up, they're huge." Canales also used the meeting to correct a standing procedural error, reminding members that the Planning Board cannot refer matters to the Zoning Board of Appeals, it can only vote to deny an application and inform the applicant of their right to appeal. The board also unanimously approved a Form A lot-line adjustment at 9 South Street, transferring a small non-building parcel between sisters, and marked the final meeting of Gary Pitney, who joined the board in the early 1990s and served multiple terms including a stretch as chair.