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Select board to consider zoning change after battery-storage project draws public attention
Summary
Board members said they will pursue a zoning change to require special permits for battery energy storage installations in industrial districts after a project in the industrial zone prompted resident concern; the board plans to work with town staff and the planning board on a town‑meeting article.
Select person Nate Marino said extensive social‑media discussion and public concerns about a proposed battery energy storage facility have highlighted a regulatory gap: installations in the industrial district can be allowed by right, leaving limited local oversight. "I feel the board should put forth an article at town meeting to adjust our zoning bylaws to require a special permit by the select board for these projects in industrial districts," Marino said, describing the goal as increasing oversight and community input.
Other board members agreed the bylaws predate modern battery technology and suggested working with planning and zoning boards, as well as legal counsel, to craft an article that respects state law. Town manager Colin Weisel said the town will publish an informational page about the project and link state Department of Energy resources for technical context; the manager and select board emphasized the need to balance legal limits on regulation of utilities with local oversight where permissible.
