Shutesbury Planning Board closes data center hearing, targets April vote on bylaw

SHUTESBURY — March 9, 2026 — Shutesbury Planning Board unanimously closes public hearing on a proposed data center zoning bylaw, with a final vote expected at the April 13 meeting. The amendment, drafted to fulfill a commitment made when town meeting passed a September 2025 moratorium, would allow micro data centers of up to 150 square feet by site plan review and small data centers of up to 5,000 square feet by special permit, with a minimum lot size of 90,000 square feet and 75-foot setbacks on all sides. The board agreed to ban all data centers in the Lake Wyola district and to strengthen noise protections by making a noise assessment mandatory for any applicant. Member Jeff Weston said he "absolutely" opposes data centers in Shutesbury and intends to fight the small-facility tier at town meeting; member Keith Hasty defended the bylaw as a revenue opportunity for a town with "no revenue other than property taxes." The moratorium expires June 20, 2026, and failure to achieve a two-thirds majority at town meeting would leave the town's use table in its current legally ambiguous state.