DUXBURY - January 5, 2026 - Residents hoping for relief from the East Street Bridge detour will have to wait until spring. Town officials announced Monday that the bridge over Route 3, originally slated to reopen in late December 2025, will now remain closed to all traffic until April 2026. Meanwhile, the Selectboard advanced significant zoning amendments, including a new bylaw that would allow large-scale battery energy storage systems in approximately 10% of the town.
The Full Story
The first meeting of 2026 brought a mix of celebratory ceremonies and infrastructure headaches. The most immediate impact for residents came during the Town Manager’s report, where the timeline for the East Street Bridge replacement was officially pushed back by four months.
Town Manager René Read explained that the project, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), faced multiple setbacks, including design changes and the reallocation of work crews to other sites. Compounding the delay is the winter weather; asphalt plants have closed for the season, making it impossible to pave the bridge deck until temperatures rise.
“The vicinity over the bridge over Route 3 in Duxbury... will now be closed through April 2026... The design build team will continue to monitor the weather to find an opportunity to place asphalt during the winter months and early spring.” — René Read [01:47:44]
Zoning Changes: Battery Storage & Recodification The Board also tackled the complex issue of zoning for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Planning Director Matthew Heins presented a draft bylaw that would permit these facilities by special permit in “Planned Development” districts (PD 1, 2, and 3).
The “Tracer” Ruling & State Mandates Heins opened the discussion by citing a critical Massachusetts Land Court decision, Tracer Lane II Realty, LLC vs. City of Waltham. This ruling established that municipalities cannot use zoning to effectively ban battery storage facilities, as they are protected under state law (M.G.L. Chapter 40A, Section 3) when ancillary to solar energy. Heins explained that because Duxbury is “95% or 97% residential,” the town faces a difficult challenge: if they restrict these facilities to only industrial zones—which comprise a tiny fraction of the town—developers could successfully sue, arguing the zoning acts as an illegal ban.
The Proposal: Planned Development Districts To comply with the court’s mandate and avoid lawsuits, the Planning Board proposed allowing BESS facilities by Special Permit in Planned Development (PD) Districts 1, 2, and 3. Heins estimated that including these districts would open roughly 10% of the town’s land area to potential projects, a threshold legal counsel believes is defensible in court. This approach aims to give the town control through the Special Permit process rather than leaving it open to “by right” development.
“You can’t really restrict battery energy storage projects... to like maybe just like 1% or 2% of your town... [The proposal] comes to about 10%... which obviously is not ideal... but that’s kind of the reality of what we’re discussing.” — Matthew Heins [01:27:00]
Public Transparency & Next Steps Selectboard Member Michael McGee emphasized the need for transparency, asking how residents could view the specific text changes (”redlines”) proposed for the bylaw. The Board ultimately voted unanimously to refer the article to the Planning Board for a public hearing. This hearing will be the primary venue for technical review and public input before the measure moves to the Annual Town Meeting.
The Board also discussed a massive “recodification” of the town’s zoning bylaws. This decade-long effort aims to reorganize and renumber the bylaws for clarity. However, concerns were raised about the legal mechanism of “repealing and replacing” the entire bylaw, which could inadvertently trigger a comprehensive review by the Attorney General and invalidate existing local rules that conflict with modern state statutes.
Police Roster Expands The evening began on a high note with the swearing-in of three new officers: Abigail Plourde, Thomas DeLaura, and Michael Curley. Chief Michael Carbone also celebrated the promotion of Katie McIlroy to the rank of Sergeant. McIlroy, a childhood cancer survivor and Duxbury native, was pinned by her son in an emotional ceremony.
Why It Matters
Commute Disruption: The extended closure of East Street impacts daily traffic flow, particularly for emergency vehicles and school buses that rely on this key artery across Route 3. Local Control vs. State Mandates: The battery storage bylaw represents a critical tension for Duxbury. By proactively zoning for these facilities in 10% of the town, officials hope to avoid a “wild west” scenario where developers could override local rules, but it opens specific neighborhoods to industrial-scale energy projects.
Official Minutes & Data
Key Motions & Votes
Aquaculture Float Renewals: Approval of 24 float licenses for 2026.
Vote: 5-0 (Unanimous Roll Call) [[01:07:53]]
Liquor License Transfer (Osborn’s Country Store): Transfer of license to new owners (OM Osborn’s Country Store Inc.).
Vote: 5-0 (Unanimous Roll Call) [[01:20:39]]
Referral of Zoning Articles: Vote to refer the Recodification, Battery Storage, and Flood Hazard Overlay articles to the Planning Board for public hearings.
Vote: 5-0 (Unanimous Roll Call) [[01:44:32]]
Public Comment
No public comment was offered during the open forum or the hearings.
What’s Next
Public Hearings: The Planning Board will hold hearings on the proposed zoning articles prior to the Annual Town Meeting.
Kayak Removal: Residents must remove kayaks and dinghies from town landings (including Howland’s Landing) by January 31, 2026, or face disposal [[01:46:03]].
Bridge Design: MassDOT is expected to present design renderings for the Powder Point Bridge rehabilitation in mid-January.
Source Video: Duxbury Meetings: Local Seen Streaming Channel
Excellent reporting on the Tracer Lane precedent. That court ruling is forcing a massive recalibration for towns everywhere,not just Duxbury. The "10% threshold" strategy is smart legally but it'll be interesting to watch how the special permit proces handles real applications. I worked on siting studies for BESS projects and the disconnect between state mandates and local control keeps gettting messier. This feels like one of those cases where legal compliance doesn't equal community buy-in.