Select Board continues hearing on relocating Town Highway #20 tied to Middle Road solar project

The Middlebury Select Board on May 12 continued a public hearing about relocating Town Highway No. 20 as it relates to a proposed solar project on Middle Road, saying staff and the developer are still working to refine right-of-way plans.

A staff speaker told the board they had been working with the developer on a redesigned right-of-way but did not yet have an updated survey or draft findings from the town attorney. The speaker recommended pausing the process to allow the attorney to prepare draft findings and a revised survey before further deliberation. “My recommendation to you this evening is to do nothing more than just continue this hearing to May 26th,” the speaker said.

Board members voted unanimously to continue the hearing to May 26 at 7:20 p.m. and requested that the town receive the survey and attorney-prepared draft findings in advance of that meeting.

The hearing record for this matter remains open. No final decision, relocation order, or change to the town highway was adopted at the May 12 meeting; the continuation preserves opportunity for additional public comment and technical review once the survey and draft findings are available.

Next steps: the board will reconvene the hearing May 26, when staff expects to have the updated survey and the attorney’s draft findings available for review.