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Freetown discusses battery storage bylaw ahead of town meeting; board to place article on warrant
Summary
Selectmen reviewed special and annual town meeting warrant articles, including a proposed battery storage bylaw (district language discussed), and agreed to place the bylaw on the warrant to retain local regulatory authority before anticipated state permitting changes in October.
The Freetown Board of Selectmen reviewed annual and special town meeting warrant articles on June 1 and discussed a proposed battery storage bylaw intended to give the town zoning authority over battery storage system siting and safety.
Board members said Nancy drafted stricter bylaw language that leverages the town’s zoning authority—limiting battery storage systems to specified zones and adding local controls—and recommended including the language on the warrant. The chair warned that without a local bylaw the state could begin issuing permits under state rules; one board member said state permitting activity in October created urgency to adopt local regulation.
"If we don't make a bylaw ... in October the state is going to stop issuing permits and you don't have a by law you can't regulate this," the chair said during the discussion, urging the board to act to preserve local regulatory control.
The board reviewed other warrant items (salt shed funding, master plan grant items, police station surveillance/server upgrades, and conservation land purchase options) and confirmed the battery storage article and other items will appear on the special and annual town meeting warrants as discussed.
Next steps: finalize bylaw language for the warrant and present the article at the upcoming town meetings for voter consideration.
