Charlton Planning Board Awards Master Plan Contract to VHB, Tables Solar Bond Policy

CHARLTON — April 1, 2026 — Charlton Planning Board awards master plan contract to VHB and hears pitch to rescind Stretch Energy Code. At its April 1 meeting, the board confirmed it had sent an acceptance letter to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin following the RFP award for a new town master plan, with a kickoff session tentatively set for the June 3 or June 17 meeting. Local builder Rob Lemansky presented a detailed case for rescinding the town's 2016 Stretch Energy Code, citing mandatory HERS rater fees now exceeding $2,000 and per-home cost increases he placed at $8,000 to $20,000, and has filed a citizen's petition for the May 18 Annual Town Meeting; Chair Bill Fontaine said board members could speak individually at Town Meeting but that the board likely cannot take a formal position. The board voted unanimously to extend Charlton Development LLC's site plan and special permit at 241 Sturbridge Road to July 14, 2027, and to continue the Ponnakin Hill subdivision modification hearing to April 15 pending engineering back-and-forth with Graves Engineering. Planning Board Alternate Laurie Degnan presented a draft solar decommissioning bond policy requiring bonds at 125 percent of decommissioning costs, but the item was tabled to April 15 after members determined it could not be adopted without prior agenda notice.