Planning Board approves solar screening, driveway; delays Cedar Road vote

Planning Board · Meeting of August 10, 2026

Townsend Planning Board approves solar screening and a Haines Road driveway, pushes Cedar Road subdivision fight to August 24. The board voted 3-0 to require native climbing vegetation, installed by June 1, 2027, to screen a solar array at 22 West Meadow Road, and 4-0 to approve a driveway cut through a stone wall at 24 Haines Road for applicant Michael Darmody. The bulk of the meeting went to a three-lot subdivision at 0 Cedar Road, where Town Counsel Adam Costa's office warned the applicant may need a formal title examination and an added $2,000 escrow deposit before the board can rule, potentially pushing its decision deadline into October.

Member Brett King broke with colleagues over a proposed 18-foot roadway width, warning "fire trucks are not going to make it around it in the wintertime." Resident John Mesita argued the town deliberately voted to discontinue the road decades ago to block development. No Cedar Road waivers were formally voted on; the hearing continues August 24.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,531 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of August 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.