Board advances zoning rewrite, takes no votes

Planning Board · Meeting of October 27, 2026

Berlin Planning Board advanced a zoning bylaw overhaul without taking any substantive votes. Chair R. Thomas Sanford Jr., Member/Clerk Jay Teich and Member Timothy H. Wheeler reviewed draft stormwater, inclusionary zoning and accessory dwelling unit sections with consultant Ron, who said "it clearly has worked at least once" regarding Berlin's rare success with inclusionary zoning. The board also learned that, starting in October, the state now requires a 12-month "consolidated permit" pathway for solar and battery storage projects.

Members discussed Amazon's planned drone delivery operation, with Teich reading a town counsel opinion that "any such local bylaw may not regulate the use of airspace because that field is preempted by the FAA." A prospective buyer, Samantha Goulet, sought guidance on reviving a defunct driving range at 317 South Street. The board voted 3-0 to adjourn and continues the zoning review November 10 and 24.

In the full story:

• Correspondence: Amazon Drone Deliveries and the Limits of Local Authority
• 317 South Street: A Prospective Buyer's Due Diligence on a Former Driving Range
• Zoning Rewrite: Stormwater and Low Impact Development
• Zoning Rewrite: Inclusionary Zoning and the Housing Partnership Reference
• Zoning Rewrite: Accessory Dwelling Units and Candidates for Repeal
• Solar and Battery Storage: New State Consolidated Permit Requirement
• Administrative Update and Scheduling
• Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,657 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of October 27, 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.