Planning Board member George Kingston said the bylaws have errors that have never been corrected as well as bylaws that no longer apply.
EAST LONGMEADOW – The Planning Board and the Zoning Review Committee are working together to update the town’s bylaws.
Planning Board member George C. Kingston presented the idea to the board after taking a look at the bylaws and noticing that there was outdated and incorrect information.
Kingston said the bylaws have errors that have never been corrected as well as bylaws that no longer apply.
Kingston said there are several areas he would like the committee to focus on, including correcting typos and grammatical errors, making the bylaws clear and easy to understand, looking at things that are missing from the bylaws and things that should be removed.
“The bylaws were written in the 1970s and uses were different back then,” he said.
Committee member Marilyn M. Richards said she is willing to look at the bylaws thoroughly, but hopes the Planning Board understands that it will take a long time to fix all of its problems.
Planning Board Chairman Peter S. Pundersen said he understands that it will take years to go through all of the bylaws and make them current.
Pundersen said the recreation facility going up on Crane Avenue is a perfect example of something missing from the bylaws.
“We do not have a definition for recreation facility because 20 years ago things like indoor soccer and in-line skating were not as popular,” he said. “We need to establish clear definitions.”
Kingston said his ultimate goal is to have bylaws that protect the residential nature of the town and encourage businesses where businesses are appropriate.
The committee will make recommendations to the Planning Board and the Planning Board will present those recommendations to the town during future Town Meetings.
