Weston Conservation Commission unanimously backs Specialized Energy Code for town meeting

WESTON — November 7, 2023 — Weston Conservation Commission votes 6-0 to endorse a Specialized Energy Code bylaw heading to special town meeting. Nick Crispin, chair-elect of the Weston Sustainability Committee, presented the proposal at the November 7 meeting, explaining it would require new gas-heated construction to pre-wire for electrification and install rooftop solar, while leaving all-electric builds, additions, and historic structures unaffected. Crispin noted Weston's buildings account for 68 percent of town emissions and that the code change is a prerequisite for the state's Climate Leaders Program, worth up to a half million dollars annually. Chair Joe Berman acknowledged the bylaw falls outside the commission's direct jurisdiction but said the panel's environmental mission made support appropriate, and commissioners voted unanimously. The meeting also produced a certificate of compliance for 154 Winter Street, a two-year extension of an order of conditions for the six-lot Clifford Lane subdivision at 576 North Avenue — where a trail easement linking Weston and Lincoln conservation land has now been recorded — and a negative determination of applicability for pool and patio work at 209 Cliff Road.