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Hampden planning board reviews draft battery energy storage bylaw; adds protections, testing and emergency access requirements
Summary
The Town of Hampden Planning Board reviewed an updated battery energy storage systems (BESS) bylaw draft Feb. 26 and directed staff to add protections for the aquifer and drinking water, tighten O&M/testing language, include a Knox Box requirement for fire access, and substantiate setback requirements before sending the draft to town counsel.
The Town of Hampden Planning Board reviewed a revised draft bylaw for battery energy storage systems (BESS) during its Feb. 26 meeting and made several substantive edits and drafting decisions to refine safety, environmental and operational requirements.
Board members and staff said the revised purpose statement now explicitly cites protection of the town aquifer and public and private drinking‑water supplies, and adds protection of endangered species to the bylaw’s stated objectives. The draft retains technical references such as BioMap mapping for ecological review and the Massachusetts Stormwater standards where applicable.
The draft’s operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements were expanded. The board instructed staff to require an O&M manual that includes: testing scope (annual testing was discussed), documentation and records retention, and compliance with relevant national standards (applicants referenced UL 9540 and NFPA guidance). The O&M section will list…
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