Shrewsbury Weighs New Rules For Drones, Battery Storage And Data Centers

SHREWSBURY, MA — Shrewsbury officials are preparing for technologies that could bring new noise, safety, privacy and electricity demands to town.

The Select Board held a preliminary discussion Tuesday about possible local regulations for commercial delivery drones, battery energy storage systems and data centers. No bylaws were proposed or voted on, but board members said the town should begin updating its rules as technology expands.

Delivery Drones In Shrewsbury

Amazon Prime Air may begin operating delivery drones from the company’s Westborough facility, potentially sending drones over Shrewsbury neighborhoods, town officials said. A launch date has not been announced.

Shrewsbury officials are considering restrictions on takeoffs and landings from town-owned property, zoning requirements for commercial drone hubs and possible noise or privacy bylaws. The Select Board also plans to invite an Amazon representative to a future public meeting to provide information and answer residents’ questions.

Battery Energy Storage Systems

The Select Board separately reviewed the town’s regulations for battery energy storage systems, which store electricity for later use. Shrewsbury has established fire safety standards and setback requirements for facilities in recent years.

Town staff is now reviewing those rules against Massachusetts’ new clean-energy siting and permitting requirements. State regulations took effect July 1, and municipalities must begin accepting an optional consolidated permit application process by Oct. 1, according to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

The process covers the qualification of small clean-energy infrastructure projects and requires municipalities to issue a single decision within 12 months. Applicants may instead seek individual local approvals outside the consolidated process, according to the state.

Data Centers In Shrewsbury

Data centers were the third focus of the discussion. Shrewsbury’s zoning rules for “data storage facilities” date to 2012, before the recent growth of large modern data centers, board members said.

Possible changes include requiring a special permit, strengthening environmental and noise standards and consulting Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations before approving a project. Select Board members said the review should ensure a data center cannot move forward if its electricity needs would place unreasonable demands on the local grid.

Any proposed zoning or general bylaw changes would require approval from Shrewsbury’s representative Town Meeting, which serves as the town’s legislative body and votes on local bylaws, according to the Town Clerk’s Office.

The three emerging land-use issues are expected to be revisited as officials develop potential regulations.

See Also:

• Shrewsbury Adopts Updated Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Shrewsbury Home Sales More Than Doubled In July, New Data Shows