Board votes to seek opinion on reopening hearing

Planning Board · Meeting of October 6, 2026

Hadley Planning Board votes to seek legal opinion on reopening a contested hearing. Clerk William Dwyer said the board has never reopened a closed public hearing before and should not act on a neighbor petition regarding a ZP Renewables battery storage project off Breckenridge Road without guidance from town counsel; the board voted 5-0 to request that opinion, with a decision continued to October 20. The board separately approved Stop & Shop's rebranded signage at 440 Russell Street 5-0, with Chair James Maksimoski's panel also pushing back on a Citizens Bank sign application for lacking construction detail: "If I don't see details of it, I will not approve it." Pioneer Valley Planning Commission planner Evan briefed the board on a new state law, effective October 1, that gives towns 12 months to decide on consolidated solar and battery storage permits or risk automatic "constructive approval." Member Joseph Zgrodnik called it part of a pattern of "local planning boards losing some of their control." A Cook Farm solar developer, Jake Marley of Hyperion Systems, said his approved project has waited about 120 days for a written decision due to a land use coordinator vacancy, though an offer to fill the post went out this week.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,667 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.