Hubbardston Planning Board approves Birches Road lot split unanimously

HUBBARDSTON — May 6, 2026 — Hubbardston Planning Board unanimously approved a lot-split plan for a Birches Road property, creating a new three-acre buildable parcel. The board voted 4-0 Wednesday to endorse an Approval Not Required plan for Stanley and Elizabeth Suchocki at 43 Birches Road, splitting three acres from an existing 13.6-acre parcel that straddles the Hubbardston-Templeton town line. Town Planner Alec Wade, who reviewed the application against a 12-point checklist, told the board the plan met all requirements, though he noted existing structures on the property already fall within the front-yard setback, a nonconformity the ANR does not worsen. Engineer Trevor Fletcher of GRAZ Engineering said the team had already briefed the Conservation Commission and will file with both ConCom and the state Department of Environmental Protection once the Registry of Deeds assigns a new map-and-lot number, as the site falls within the Rivers Protection Act jurisdiction. A separate agenda item on the Friends Farm Subdivision could not be taken up after applicants Susan Getz and Christopher Begley failed to appear.