Hampden Planning Board Approves Home Occupation Permit, Advances Solar Bylaw

HAMPDEN -- May 13, 2026, Hampden Planning Board approves craft vendor's home occupation permit and pushes solar bylaw toward October Town Meeting. The board unanimously approved a home occupation permit for Cecile Richard of 24 Turnwood Drive, who makes and sells crafts at off-site fairs with no customer traffic at her home, and directed her to obtain a business certificate from Town Clerk Eva. Community volunteer Gina presented near-final revisions to the town's solar energy bylaw, including a new 100-foot fire-safety buffer between battery storage and solar panels, borrowed from Pelham's 2003 bylaw, and a permit revocation consequence for installations that miss annual reporting requirements; the board noted at least two existing arrays, including a Borrego Solar installation and the town landfill array, have already failed to file. The board agreed to send the draft immediately to departing town counsel Doherty Wallace for review before the firm's exit, targeting a public hearing in August or September and a vote at the October 26 fall Town Meeting.