SHELBURNE — Looking ahead to next year’s Annual Town Meeting, the Planning Board is getting a jump on developing new bylaws to present to voters that would restrict mobile food establishments, regulate battery storage for large-scale energy projects and limit short-term rentals such as Airbnbs.

Short-term rentals

In May, voters at Buckland’s Annual Town Meeting instituted a short-term rental bylaw that limits where short-term rentals can be operated in town and requires short-term rental owners to register with the town after completing a series of inspections.

Now, the Shelburne Planning Board is following suit in hopes of striking a balance of preserving the town’s housing stock for full-time residents while still allowing for tourism and for residents to use their homes as a source of income.

Existing Airbnbs in Shelburne will be grandfathered in, however, anyone seeking to open a new short-term rental business will need to apply.

The bylaw raised lots of questions during the Planning Board’s joint meeting with the Zoning Board of Appeals last week. Discussions pertained to language, definitions, who will be able to apply for a permit, and whether owners must occupy and live at the same property they are renting or if those who simply own an adjacent property or live nearby in the region can rent out their Shelburne properties.

Mobile food establishments

The Planning Board is also looking at changing the use of “mobile home” to “mobile building” as a way to include commercial trailers in the bylaws in addition to dwellings. This change will also involve developing a new definition for mobile food establishments, and placing limits on where and when they can operate.

The bylaw would require anyone wishing to operate a business out of a mobile building to seek permits from the Board of Health and Selectboard. Short-term permits would allow mobile food establishments to operate for one to seven days in the Village Commercial Zone, whereas annual permits would allow mobile food establishments to operate in a “periodic but not continuous” manner. Establishments can operate for one to three days at a time.

The goal of the bylaw is to limit the number of mobile buildings and prevent new ones from popping up.

“I think it’s a bad idea to have mobile commercial buildings in town,” said Planning Board member Will Flanders, adding that he feels mobile buildings are frequently “ugly” and “a waste of valuable commercial space.”

Battery storage

The Planning Board is also working on regulations for battery storage facilities.

“As renewable energy technology continues to evolve, battery storage systems have become an essential component in supporting local, regional and national energy resilience,” Planning Board member Faith Williams wrote in a first draft of the new bylaw. “The town of Shelburne recognizes the growing need to ensure these facilities are integrated into our community with careful consideration for public safety, environmental impacts and long-term sustainability.”

Williams said the town may not be able to prevent large-scale energy projects, such as wind or solar developments, but town officials can work to regulate them and protect the Shelburne’s environmental and financial interests.

“It seems almost beyond the means of a town like Shelburne to regulate these commercial activities,” said Zoning Board of Appeals member Eric Lucentini.

While some members said regulating and policing these requirements may be difficult, other members argued they are necessary.

The proposed bylaw outlines requirements for emergency response plans, decommissioning plans, and timelines and permitting protocols.

Battery storage facilities may not be constructed within 500 feet of a residential building or 100 feet of a wetland, and they must include sprinkler systems and 24-hour monitoring systems. Permit applications must include a plan to decommission the facility within 24 months of its operation ceasing.

The Planning Board will continue to work with the Zoning Board of Appeals to draft the proposed bylaws over the coming months, and will host information sessions and public hearings later on as the bylaws are developed.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.