Planning Board Advances Battery Storage Bylaw to Town Meeting
Pembroke Planning Board sent a battery energy storage bylaw to town meeting after cutting a proposed setback from 300 to 150 feet.
Planning Board · Meeting of October 5, 2026
Pembroke Planning Board sent a battery energy storage bylaw to town meeting after cutting a proposed setback from 300 to 150 feet. Vice Chair Alysha Siciliano-Perry presented the subcommittee's draft, reviewed by the town's law firm, KP Law, which warned that overly restrictive setbacks risk rejection by the Attorney General's office. The board kept a 300-foot setback near schools, hospitals and nursing homes on the fire chief's recommendation, dropped a proposed noise standard for lack of any enforceable state threshold, and left wetlands and carbon-sequestration provisions unresolved.
Chair Andrew Wandell said the goal was a bylaw that could "safely site these best installations" without being struck down. Resident Sue Bollinger, part of the drafting group, questioned whether the board was ready. Separately, the board closed a hearing on landscaper Stephen Brandon's special permit request for 447 Washington Street and directed him to refile for site plan review instead.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- The complete report — 2,389 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Members read the rest of this story and every Pembroke meeting we cover, in full.
Become a memberAlready a member? Sign inA 30-day free trial needs a payment method. After it, your membership renews at the price shown at checkout until you cancel, which you can do anytime from your account. Subscription terms
Share this story
Know someone in Pembroke who follows town government? Share Townbrief Pembroke: they can sign up free.