Zoning Board Delays Cell Tower Vote to September

Zoning Board · Meeting of August 17, 2026

HALIFAX — The Halifax Zoning Board of Appeals continued a contested cell tower hearing and opened the town's newest 40B housing case. Members voted 5-0 to push the 285 Holmes Street monopole tower decision to September 14 after the board's town counsel warned that federal law "preempts local law" when a real coverage gap exists; member David Fryer countered, "I don't like it, period." The board separately approved, 4-1, a single-family house on a long-vacant Cedar Lane lot, with Tina Kenyon dissenting. A new hearing opened on a 12-unit Chapter 40B rental project at 244 Thompson Street, where consultant Dean Harrington said Halifax's affordable housing stock sits at just 1.3 percent against the state's 10 percent goal; the board continued that hearing to October 19 pending a developer-funded peer review.

Members also approved a garage setback variance at 24 Hickory Road and paid three $100 newspaper advertising invoices.

In the full story:

• Cell Tower Special Permit and Variances: 285 Holmes Street (ZBA-26-5, continued)
• Single-Family Dwelling on Nonconforming Lot: Cedar Lane (ZBA-26-2, continued)
• Chapter 40B Affordable Housing Application: 244 Thompson Street (ZBA-26-6, new)
• Garage Variance: 24 Hickory Road (ZBA-26-7, new)
• Signatures, Bills and Minutes
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,550 words

Source: the Zoning Board meeting of August 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.