What was said

Zoning Board of Appeals, August 27, 2025

the recording · 0:44 long, about 5,811 words spoken · captions carried this meeting moderately well

lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/recording-minutes.json

The town published an agenda, an agenda for this meeting. No minutes have been published; the recording is the only record, and what follows is a guide to it.

The short version

  1. ▶ 42:36ZBA granted a special permit and dimensional variance for a large ground-mounted solar array at 560 Malpus Road, allowing it well inside the setback normally required near a conservation district.
  2. ▶ 32:21The board noted the solar project still must go before the Planning Board and Conservation Commission before it can be built.
  3. ▶ 11:46ZBA separately granted a front-yard setback variance for a deck addition at 12 Kimble Street.
  4. ▶ 31:15An abutter raised concerns about silt fencing near Malpus Brook and the visual impact of tree clearing for the solar array.

Why it matters — our reading

  • A neighboring property owner near Malpus Road will see further review at Planning Board and Conservation Commission before any construction, so the setback relief granted tonight is not the final word.
  • The variance sets a precedent for how close a ground-mounted solar array can sit to a conservation district, which could matter to other residents proposing similar projects.
  • The Kimble Street deck variance affects only that one property's front-yard setback and carries the board's standard special-permit conditions.

Watch next

  • Planning Board and Conservation Commission review of the 560 Malpus Road solar array

planning and zoning

Present: Alfred Gbell (chair); Lisa Norandan (board secretary); James Bezic (member); Patrick J. Callahan (member); Anthony Nicastro (member); Don Gern (member). 2 of 6 matched to the board’s posted roster; the rest, in italics, are the caption model’s hearing and may be wrong.

Votes

  1. ▶ 11:46Grant the dimensional variation as submitted (6.9 ft front-yard setback relief) for the deck at 12 Kimble Street.passed
  2. ▶ 42:36Grant the special permit for a dimensional variation as shown on the plan for the ground-mounted solar array at 560 Malpus Road.passed

And 1 procedural: motion to adjourn. (▶ 44:41).

The money

Nothing touching money was heard beyond the transfers.

Settled without a vote

  • ▶ 32:21Board noted the solar applicant will still need to go before the Planning Board and Conservation Commission before the project can proceed.

Public comment

  1. ▶ 23:57Where the Dupri house and barn sit relative to the proposed ground-mounted solar array on the abutting lot. — Brenda Dupri, as heard, abutter
  2. ▶ 36:45Described her high electric bill as the reason for the solar project, and addressed sightlines, tree clearing, and visibility from neighboring properties. — Claire Ryan, as heard, property owner

Where the time went

Minutes of recording by subject, from the topic spans below. A topic with two subjects counts toward both.

The whole meeting, in order

  1. ▶ 0:01Chair opens the hearing, gives open-meeting-law notice, introduces the board and explains the hearing procedure.informational · 1:22 long · planning and zoning
  2. ▶ 1:23Secretary reads the application for a dimensional variance/special permit at 12 Kimble Street for a deck encroaching on the Kimble Street front-yard setback.informational · 4:09 long · planning and zoning
  3. ▶ 5:33Applicant's representative (Greg Roy) presents the deck plan; board questions him about site conditions, whether construction had already started, and the setback dimensions.discussed only · 6:13 long · planning and zoning
  4. ▶ 11:46Board votes to grant the 6.9 ft dimensional variance for the Kimble Street deck; chair reads the standard special-permit conditions.voted · 2:06 long · planning and zoning
  5. ▶ 14:19Secretary reads the application for a dimensional variance for an 18.9 kW ground-mounted solar array at 560 Malpus Road.informational · 1:23 long · planning and zoning
  6. ▶ 15:43Team Sunshine's representative presents the solar plan; extended discussion with the board over the required 200 ft setback versus the proposed ~58.5 ft and ~109 ft distances, and which property lines govern.discussed only · 13:48 long · planning and zoning
  7. ▶ 29:32Board discusses a prior, smaller freestanding solar approval granted for the same property in 2023 and how this application differs.informational · 1:42 long · planning and zoning
  8. ▶ 31:15Public comment from an abutter (Brenda Dupri) and the property owner (Claire Ryan) on silt fencing near Malpus Brook, fencing/safety around the array, visual impact, and referral to Planning Board and Conservation Commission.discussed only · 2:48 long · planning and zoning, public comment
  9. ▶ 34:03Board calculates the size of variance needed (front and side setbacks under 200 ft) and considers whether the array location could be moved.discussed only · 2:42 long · planning and zoning
  10. ▶ 36:46Property owner Claire Ryan describes her electric bill and expected savings, and discussion of net-metering/credit programs with National Grid/Unitil.informational · 4:48 long · planning and zoning
  11. ▶ 41:35Board votes to grant the special permit/dimensional variance for the solar array as shown on the plan; chair reads the standard special-permit conditions.voted · 3:05 long · planning and zoning
  12. ▶ 44:41Adjournment.voted · 0:17 long

What the captions could not carry

  • Exact roll-call vote counts on both motions -- captions render only overlapping "I" responses, not a tally.
  • Whether decking material at 12 Kimble Street had actually been built without a permit -- board members and the applicant's representative gave conflicting, uncertain answers.
  • The chair's name is inferred from context ("I'm Alfred Gbell") and may be mis-transcribed.
  • Exact spelling/identity of members introduced as "James Bezic" and "Tony Niccastro."

These are ours, and they are not the record

OUR MINUTES OF A RECORDING, written by a language model from machine captions. Two derived layers stand between this file and the meeting. Cite the video at the timestamp, never this file. Figures are as heard and may be wrong; names may be wrong; where the town published minutes, those are the record.

Written 2026-09-27 by scripts/write_recording_minutes.py (sonnet) from sources/data/youtube-transcripts/zoning-board-of-appeals/2025-08-27-CLeb-gUrH1Q.json — 1,173 caption segments, sha256 827420927b0d…. All recorded meetings.

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What changed

Version 15 — updated September 20, 2026