Planning Board Elects New Chair, Recommends 3 Variances

Planning Board · Meeting of October 26, 2026

EASTON — The Easton Planning Board elected a new chair and vice chair and recommended approval of three zoning variances. Members voted 4-0 to install Ryan Cook as chair and Chris Lopes as vice chair, filling posts vacant since a prior chair "stepped away" and a successor resigned after one meeting. The board also voted 4-0, three separate times, to recommend the Zoning Board of Appeals approve variances for a deck at 162 Pine Street encroaching to within 6.1 feet of a property line, an in-ground pool at 20 Barron Drive extending 10.3 feet into a 20-foot rear setback, and new freestanding signage at Stonehill College's 350 Washington Street campus.

The Barron Drive recommendation was conditioned on separate Conservation Commission approval. One member, weighing the Pine Street request, said it "provides another house faster and we need that in town." Staff flagged Easton's Town Meeting for November 9.

In the full story:

• 162 Pine Street: Deck Addition Setback Variance
• 20 Barron Drive: In-Ground Pool Setback Variance
• 350 Washington Street: Stonehill College Signage Variance
• Minutes Approval
• Board Reorganization: Chair and Vice Chair
• Other Business
• Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,205 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of October 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.