BERNARDSTON — New regulations for real estate projects are being prepared for a Town Meeting vote.
The new rules will establish aesthetic standards, so that any developments fit in with the style of the town, and will add stronger regulations on water drainage to reduce the potential for flooding, said Planning Board Chairwoman Chris Wysk.
A public hearing on the new regulations will be held in March, Wysk said. The hearing will be a chance for residents to learn about the new regulations and to offer feedback.
The Planning Board has only recently begun creating the water drainage regulations, and hasn’t started yet on the aestethetic regulations, Wysk said. The board is considering model bylaws from the state, but adjusting them to work in a small town without a lot of local government.
Flooding is an ongoing issue in Bernardston, especially in the center of town around Cushman Park. In the town’s review of a 17-acre solar farm planned for the west side of Route 5 in central Bernardston — across the street from Cushman Park — stormwater management has been a major point of discussion.
The public hearings for that project were recently re-opened, after the Conservation Commission determined that a stormwater management plan for the construction period would be necessary.