Select Board Advances Solar Bylaw Before Deadline
Select Board · Meeting of September 8, 2026
Sturbridge rushes a solar and battery-storage zoning bylaw toward a Nov. 16 Special Town Meeting before an Oct. 1 state deadline. The Select Board voted unanimously to send Planning Board amendments covering definitions, groundwater protection and solar energy facilities to a public hearing, with town planning staff, identified only as Aiden, warning that towns without a local bylaw default to state siting rules on Oct. 1. Board members pushed back on the state's view that battery storage systems are "self-contained" and low fire risk, with one calling that stance "completely illogical." Separately, the board approved transferring Village Pizza's liquor license to incoming owner Germacani Enterprises LLC, represented by attorney Hong Tran, pending a bank closing.
The fire chief reported 248 incidents in August, the department's busiest month of 2026. The board also backed a review of the town's seven-year-old job classification system after Personnel Committee member Larry called it "bald snow tires" past its useful life.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,359 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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