Roxbury selectmen approve 180-day moratorium on new large- and medium-scale solar projects

At its April 14 meeting, the Roxbury Board of Selectmen voted 2-0 to impose a 180-day moratorium on all solar power projects in town to give officials time to revise local ordinances.

Selectman Timothy Derouche, who made the motion, said the pause is intended to allow the town to update rules for large- and medium-scale installations and cited multiple local concerns: the project location along a scenic highway, PFAS issues, inclusion in a 100-year floodplain and proximity to an aquifer. "We should go through a moratorium for all solar power in Roxbury for 180 days to allow us to redo our ordinances," Derouche said.

Selectman Matthew Patneaude seconded the motion; the board recorded a 2-0 vote. The board specified the moratorium would not affect the current solar project now before the town.

The selectmen also agreed to consult the town attorney on drafting the moratorium. Derouche asked the attorney to advise on process, and the board planned a special Selectmen’s meeting the following week to hold an executive session with counsel about the moratorium process.

The moratorium motion included stated rationales the board said should be addressed in ordinance revisions: scenic-highway protections, PFAS concerns tied to groundwater, floodplain constraints, and differing operational issues between small- and larger-scale arrays (for example, snow-shedding on panels).

Next steps: the board requested town counsel’s assistance in drafting the moratorium language and scheduled a special meeting to continue the procedural discussion.