Board approves six-unit plan for Elm Street house
Hatfield Planning Board clears vacant Elm Street mansion for conversion into six housing units. The board voted 4-0 to approve a special permit and site plan for Benson Mini Storage, LLC at 12-18 Elm Street, with member David L.
Planning Board · Meeting of June 3, 2026
Hatfield Planning Board clears vacant Elm Street mansion for conversion into six housing units. The board voted 4-0 to approve a special permit and site plan for Benson Mini Storage, LLC at 12-18 Elm Street, with member David L. Bell sitting out the vote after missing a prior hearing on the case.
Member Douglas Finn backed the project but warned the approval "can be overturned if it's appealed," citing a 2014 case, Diedrich v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Chatham, that he said undercuts the board's legal theory. Conditions include paving the driveway, screening parking-lot lighting and a pre-occupancy trash plan.
Separately, the board re-elected Stephanie Slysz chair and James Tarr alternate chair, and Assistant Planner Isabella Yeager reported the town is interviewing finalists for a roughly $96,000 state-funded zoning rewrite and received $40,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for a housing production plan.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,146 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of June 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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