Politics & Government
Norton Officials Look to Draft Solar Bylaw
The Norton Board of Selectmen is tasking the Planning Board with creating regulations for solar projects.
With solar fields popping up around the Commonwealth, Norton officials are looking to keep the town ahead of the game.
Planning Board Chair Joanne Haracz met with Selectmen last week to discuss the creation of a solar bylaw that will enact regulations on solar projects.
"We were concerned that we were going to be caught with absolutely nothing to regulate those at all," Selectman Bradford Bramwell told Haracz. "We’re looking to the Planning Board for some kind of expertise. Nobody was looking to ban from them from certain areas.. we wanted to have some controls in place."
Board of Selectmen Chair Robert Kimball said he would welcome solar projects in Norton.
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"The more we do the better we are, but there has to be some control over where they are put in place," he said.
Officials will use solar bylaws in nearby communities, including Easton, as a starting point.
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Selectman Timothy Giblin said public safety and the "needs of the residents" should be a priority.
"We wanted to talk to you as well as public safety to get a feel for how we can all work together to get it right," he said.Kimball said the bylaw will likely focus on commercial projects.
"Someone putting it on top of their house- that’s their perogative," he said. "I think we’re looking at more of the commercial."
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