[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6268858,"mediaKeyId","3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe","parentId",3048794,"title","Hampden planning board holds public hearing on draft battery energy storage zoning bylaw","audioSeconds",2482,"startMs",208000,"endMs",2690000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe&start=208&end=2690","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe/thumbnail_208000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6268858/Massachusetts/Hampden-planning-board-holds-public-hearing-on-draft-battery-energy-storage-zoning-bylaw","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268858-ce6df516f599977a7b386e21382dfde9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023639&Signature=XIBKIigyCiisaTzqVbYkorcozyIMec6i71UoBgOuJlMFS0J41yaVVmEZ~t-Fcrd8HB67cxRa2L7jMwdXzthLbHgTrlS-h~faOZZZpq2~mEMmdmj~USVjQ6XU-KzNAuseDLATNMuylrUDTuQ~hLJpzxKTBMXzYoLl~F-Kw5cBiZhEIgW-VBAHfbvpwqinG5AvUXIprsI5tEJ5BMDAFdn3fbADzE7z5b882SMqK-gDN8RMBIsNCUn2ejfHUt77dFHMLP6RumahDO0BT-yB-BSgz2ReCkbKQGq5JcQReUIF52YGh0XHYg115bb3cD4gMfWUE8F3CtfcSL7BV1US0rfwTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Hampden, MA","date","2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Hampden Planning Board opened a public hearing April 16 on a proposed zoning bylaw to regulate battery energy storage systems (BESS), hearing resident concerns about water, fire risk and siting and receiving written comments from town counsel urging factual support for any limits.

The board is proposing a tiered approach that would allow small systems in residential settings and require special permits for larger, higher‑capacity systems. The draft sets technical requirements including a 30‑foot cleared zone around BESS enclosures, a 30‑foot vegetative buffer with specified planting heights and an operations and maintenance plan; the board voted to increase front setbacks to 75 feet and side/back setbacks to 100 feet in limited industrial areas and to add clearer maintenance and notice procedures before the bylaw is finalized.

Why it matters: the state has accelerated model language for BESS, and Massachusetts case law and the Dover Amendment (Mass. Gen. Laws c.40A §3) limit how far communities can restrict energy uses. Hampden officials said the town’s water resources and wetlands merit careful tailoring of any limits; town counsel’s preliminary review cautioned that a bylaw that effectively excludes BESS could be rejected by the Attorney General’s office or face litigation.

Key points from the hearing
- Tiered permitting: The draft uses tiers tied to energy capacity. Tier 1 is for small, single‑system installations (capacity described in the draft as 250 kilowatts or less) and would be permitted in residential areas with review; higher tiers would require special permits and be confined to commercial or limited industrial districts.
- Setbacks and buffers: Board members agreed to raise setbacks in limited industrial zones to match the district minimums (front 75 feet; side and rear 100 feet). The draft requires areas within 30 feet of a BESS enclosure to be cleared of combustible vegetation and separately prescribes a 30‑foot vegetative screening buffer (planting heights and spacing noted in the draft) to reduce visual impact.
- Fire and safety: Residents and former fire officials warned that lithium‑ion battery fires can re‑ignite and said building and fire codes (including the National Electrical Code) and local fire department procedures will be relevant to site approvals. Board members said building and fire departments will need to review installations in addition to the zoning permit.
- Legal review and evidence: A cover letter from town counsel will accompany the bylaw when the board forwards it; counsel advised that any municipal interest cited (for example, protections for water supplies) should be substantiated with documented statistics or technical evidence rather than broad assertions to withstand Attorney General review.
- Operations and monitoring: The draft requires an operations and maintenance (O&M) plan be submitted with site applications that describes maintenance schedules, vegetation management for buffers and the cleared safety zone, and noise and monitoring measures; the board discussed specifying when noise testing must be conducted (day/night/24‑hour sampling) and to what standard.

Public comment and next steps
Resident Donald Davenport thanked the board for the accelerated work but urged emphasizing water‑resource protections in the materials the board forwards to town meeting and the Attorney General. Other residents asked for clarity about how capacity tiers would apply on individual lots and whether large “tier 4” systems (described in the draft as greater than 10 megawatt‑hours aggregate capacity) would be appropriate near residences or sensitive natural areas.

The board closed the public hearing for Case 2025‑B with a formal motion and second and agreed to incorporate the changes discussed—including the revised setbacks, clarified O&M content and specific vegetation buffer language—and to reconvene on April 30 to review a revised draft before making a recommendation to town meeting and submitting materials to town counsel and the Attorney General for preliminary review.

The board and applicants repeatedly noted that Attorney General review may approve, return with suggested edits, or in part reject limitations that operate as effective prohibitions under the Dover Amendment; the board intends to attach a data‑driven cover letter supporting its municipal interests when it forwards the bylaw for review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Hampden, MA: Planning Board (April 16, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The Hampden Planning Board opened a public hearing April 16 on a proposed zoning bylaw to regulate battery energy storage systems (BESS), hearing resident concerns about water, fire risk and siting and receiving written comments from town counsel urging factual support for any limits.","taxTitle","Town of Hampden, Hampden County, Massachusetts","taxId",66345,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268852,"Hampden planning board reviews state‑required tweaks to ADU bylaw",1211,2661000,3872000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe&start=2661&end=3872","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe/thumbnail_2661000.jpg","/articles/6268852/Massachusetts/Hampden-planning-board-reviews-staterequired-tweaks-to-ADU-bylaw","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268852-338feb8f49d090d979fd6fdab06a5fe8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023639&Signature=XENUu~TBPWS4KV9s4S4Obdw~PbMo~P5W5SBNHgLUS-7cjP6TIM5MMDQT-4wnzAVVxxDGluFSDALTMjluPZ6EbYlmYDX0uqbHACyrucwmGITl-GogsFCpx~8Qq8U64m~J4rxxC5Rt4N6V9FjfiKP9vJahGgk2AWQgaY3XesQ8sn-WYWNac1SjVtxXMKQOQNhT90hxdRUZlF8Z481g5DExVXkhVNteSz7NWaiL702CC0rjAU7wYRNdUAtWjjP32bRHi60Q1hltAo5fMt18gUMDyv-SIuiG3u8HTmbbSmFQzf2eMc75-nul0rT68mNI3N027OKCjdZIecJgu0jPkwz-vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hampden Planning Board held a public hearing April 16 on proposed revisions to the town’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bylaw to ensure consistency with recently published state regulations.

The revisions are intended to implement state limits and definitions rather than create a new local policy. Board members discussed how to compute gross floor area when multiple principal dwelling units are present, the state’s maximum ADU size rules, parking requirements tied to transit proximity, and whether the town must allow more than one ADU on a lot.

Why it matters: ADU rules affect homeowners’ ability to add one or more secondary living units on their property, with implications for housing supply, property configuration and infrastructure like parking and septic capacity. State regulations give a minimum set of rights that communities must allow; municipalities may not adopt rules more restrictive than state law.

Key points from the discussion
- Gross floor area (GFA): The board examined the state definition of GFA and confirmed that when multiple principal dwelling units exist on a lot the GFA used to compute maximum ADU size is the largest principal dwelling’s GFA, not the sum of all units. The board clarified application in two‑family houses and “double‑decker” arrangements.
- Maximum ADU size: Under the state regulatory language discussed at the hearing, an ADU “shall be no larger in gross floor area than half the gross floor area of the principal dwelling unit or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller.” The board discussed consequences for very small principal dwellings and concluded that the draft language follows state limits.
- Parking and transit exceptions: The draft includes a parking provision that would waive an additional parking requirement if the lot is outside a half‑mile transit radius; board members noted that the waiver language references MBTA‑style rules and is not applicable to Hampden and suggested simplifying or removing that transit exception from the local bylaw text.
- Multiple ADUs: The board reviewed state guidance that one protected ADU must be allowed as‑of‑right and that communities do not have to permit more than one ADU; the board agreed to strike language implying that multiple ADUs must be allowed and to retain the option of allowing additional ADUs by special permit.

Process and next steps
Board members identified several editorial and technical comments from town counsel and other reviewers that staff will incorporate (for example, removing redundant phrases, clarifying which measurements apply to which dwelling types, and cross‑referencing existing height and dimensional rules). The board plans to reconvene after staff incorporate counsel’s comments and will then make a recommendation to the select board and to town meeting as appropriate.

No final vote on the bylaw changes occurred at the April 16 session; the hearing was closed for Case 2025‑C and the board scheduled a follow‑up meeting to consider revised language prior to forwarding a recommendation.","The Hampden Planning Board held a public hearing April 16 to update the town’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bylaw so it conforms with new state regulations, focusing on gross‑floor‑area calculations, the state’s 900‑square‑foot cap, parking exceptions and whether multiple ADUs must be allowed.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268847,"Planning board accepts Hampden master plan and forwards it for further review",1016,3839000,4855000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe&start=3839&end=4855","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048794-e460d8d4ca2d5e3e4af62f810f0c30fe/thumbnail_3839000.jpg","/articles/6268847/Massachusetts/Planning-board-accepts-Hampden-master-plan-and-forwards-it-for-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268847-90e7896261cc2da14bbb49c1f59d8578/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023639&Signature=IhVdcGXYgtBkUEOu~8~5D4ibNbo4i36d7HaUGPnakTrhJmnkpXwjDzrbM~WCe91ynnC78pdwECDtzRpqY-Bko4fxxEPTkp2HayAzQ6H8MsHEc~K7nAlwui-my7uTy5AOZNv2wzzquT4cE7OzpbwwpyQkq16eTSwiRb8dnRDDbUuQv8HXZalR2UWR8KPYUG957cVT~SX8VOqU66cq9964j61DetVMau4za3nzpbfQhMK-r0Uw1X~cWyByB-ufcCW10VGxUfjvyONXxS3s9ZNOg53rZ8b8cXd2oC3IuoLKfWmc~nnRuHfM1n9ypBYV5gq~yCVCANYmAuASEOH81Pu3AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hampden Planning Board voted April 16 to accept a completed master plan compiled by a citizen committee and consultants and to forward the document to the select board and town meeting process.

Joe Cibelli, a member of the master plan committee, told the board the effort ran about 15 months and involved public meetings, stakeholder interviews, pop‑ups and an online survey. Committee members said they received a $75,000 grant (state/casino mitigation referenced at the meeting) and town appropriations totaling approximately $58,000, bringing the project total to about $133,000; they described the plan as a living document meant to guide grant applications, economic development and long‑term land‑use decisions.

Why it matters: the master plan establishes goals and actions across land use, open space, infrastructure and economic development and can affect how the town prioritizes projects and applies for outside funding. Committee members urged assigning “champions” for actions in the plan and suggested periodic review to keep the plan current.

Details and next steps
- Committee process and content: The committee held stakeholder interviews, public meetings, an economic roundtable, a community immersion day and outreach at public events; the plan includes specific goals and an actions list at the end of each chapter to help departments and volunteers implement tasks.
- Funding and use: Committee members said grant funding helped produce the plan and that the document has already been used as part of grant applications for trail‑related projects.
- Acceptance and transmittal: The board voted to accept the master plan, thanked the committee for the work and agreed to present the document to the select board and at town meeting; the plan will be posted on the town website and the planning board encouraged periodic reviews and assignment of implementation leads.

A motion to accept the plan was made and seconded; the board recorded acceptance and planned the next administrative steps to route the document for public posting and for use in future grant and zoning work.","The Hampden Planning Board accepted a completed master plan April 16; committee members said the plan was finished on time and under budget, used a $75,000 state grant plus town funds, and will be shared with the select board and posted online.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hampden planning board holds public hearing on draft battery energy storage zoning bylaw

Hampden planning board reviews state‑required tweaks to ADU bylaw

Planning board accepts Hampden master plan and forwards it for further review