ORANGE — A proposed Lake Mattawa bylaw could wind up on a Special Town Meeting warrant in the fall if town counsel gives her approval after the Selectboard decided this week to remove all language pertaining to portable structures.

Selectboard Clerk Andrew Smith was asked to draft a bylaw to address complaints of inconsiderate guests taking up a great deal of space on the lake’s beach, often resulting in others having to go elsewhere. However, even though it was the driving force behind the bylaw being drafted, some of Smith’s fellow board members had an issue with the section regarding such structures.

“I feel like we’re trying to restrict space for not a really practical reason,” Selectboard member Julie Davis said.

The bylaw, as it was presented to the Selectboard at Wednesday’s meeting, prohibited portable tents, which it defined as including “large tents and canopies that could unreasonably impact other beach users.” It exempted smaller items such as umbrellas, baby carriages, strollers or covers that provide sun protection.

“It’s not very specific, and people need to have protection from the sun,” said member Jane Peirce, who also sits on the Orange Board of Health. “It’s a public health issue, among other things.”

Vice Chair Pat Lussier mentioned large portable structures “that pretty much took up about the whole beach” were the impetus behind drafting the proposed bylaw.

“It’s a postage-stamp beach, so people were feeling like they were just being unable to really go on the beach and enjoy themselves because there were these big structures,” she said.

But Peirce said the bylaw was targeted at specific families that had generated complaints about taking up too much beach space.

“It’s always been first-come, first-served,” she said.

Smith mentioned Town Counsel Donna MacNicol had suggested removing the prohibition on portable structures. Town Clerk Nancy Blackmer told Selectboard members MacNicol will have to review the newly amended proposed bylaw before it is put on a Town Meeting warrant. She and Peirce said that most bylaw articles appear on Annual Town Meeting warrants because those meetings draw the largest crowds. Blackmer said a bylaw article can go on a Special Town Meeting warrant but that is not typical “because not as many people come to it.”

But Lussier and Selectboard Chair Tom Smith said they want the article to be brought to residents at a Special Town Meeting in the fall so the matter can be resolved soon.

The bylaw, if adopted, would also prohibit activity at Lake Mattawa between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.