Hadley panel says 40R bylaw not ready for vote

Economic Development · Meeting of October 15, 2026

Hadley's Housing and Economic Development Committee said the town's 40R zoning bylaw is not ready for town meeting and will likely wait until spring 2027. Committee member Bill Dwyer said the bylaw "just wasn't ready for prime time," citing missing design guidelines and a possible need for state pre-approval before town meeting funding would follow adoption. Developer and committee member Shardula Parmar warned that newly expanded FEMA floodplain maps could raise construction and insurance costs across town, saying flood insurance is "significantly less" below the mapped elevation than above it, and that two of his own properties on Russell Street and Bay Road may now fall under the stricter standard.

Members also said a previously denied battery storage project is returning to the Planning Board for a vote the following Tuesday after state law changes undercut all four grounds for the earlier denial. The only formal vote of the night was a unanimous motion to adjourn.

In the full story:

• 40R Zoning Bylaw: Not Ready for Town Meeting
• Possible Spring Town Meeting Articles: ADUs, Data Centers, Lot Sizes
• Flood Mapping and Insurance Impacts
• Battery Storage: A Denial Undone by State Law
• Current Planning Projects Under Review
• UMass Amherst Residential Facilities Initiative
• Hampshire College's Uncertain Future
• Sustainable Food Initiative: Tabled to Next Meeting
• Agricultural Preservation Restriction Rules and Greenhouses
• EconoLodge Redevelopment: Construction Update
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,185 words

Source: the Economic Development meeting of October 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.