Residents urge Exeter to enforce noise rules as trucks for proposed Veil Road solar project rumble through neighborhoods

A string of residents told the Exeter Town Council on Aug. 5 that construction traffic tied to a proposed Nautilus Solar project on Veil Road has created sustained heavy‑truck noise, early morning starts and safety worries.

"The trucks were part of a project to install a solar farm on Veil Road," Mary Sullivan of Deerbrook said, citing conversations with the zoning inspector and a company representative; she urged the council to enforce the town noise policy (Article 2, section 22‑37) because "the average noise level for heavy truck traffic is 80 to 90 decibels," which she said exceeds the code's daytime limits.

Other residents backed Sullivan. Paul Fasano said trucks begin before 7 a.m. and warned that Merrill Road is not built for repeated heavy loads and may deteriorate. Beth Brown asked for short‑term mitigations such as "no through truck" or weight‑limit signage and said a company representative told her the trucking would continue into November with possible completion by early December.

Zoning inspector Hal Morgan was cited by speakers as the town official who identified the trucks' connection to the solar project. Residents asked the council to list the matter on a future agenda for updates and possible enforcement action.

Councilors did not adopt new traffic restrictions during the meeting but several said the issue should be investigated and placed on a forthcoming agenda for follow‑up with town staff. The clerk confirmed the noise code provision residents referenced as Article 2, section 22‑37 of the town code.

Next steps: residents asked the council to direct staff to (1) confirm the project schedule and trucking routes with Nautilus Solar, (2) measure ambient noise and compare it to the town code, and (3) evaluate signage or temporary route restrictions while construction is underway.