HANOVER — Nov. 9, 2026 — Hanover’s Special Town Meeting last Monday authorized the Select Board to take a parcel at Cedar School and lease it for a cell tower, by the required two-thirds, after rejecting a referral and a 500-foot setback. Voters also approved a $2 million prepayment toward the town’s county pension obligation, again by two-thirds.
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Cedar School cell tower. Article 5 transfers care, custody and control of a 100-by-100-foot parcel at Cedar School to the Select Board and authorizes a land lease of up to 25 years for a monopole. The lease, zoning and permits are still to come.
Police Chief Timothy Kane said cellular coverage around the Cedar Street school campuses is unreliable and that “poor coverage could slow us down when responding to a critical incident”. Fire Chief Jason Cavallaro said the town’s municipal fiber network does not address cell coverage.
A resident moved to refer the article back to the Select Board to study other locations and health concerns and report in May 2027. Elizabeth Corbo, a School Committee member, supported referral and questioned why the tower would sit about 180 feet from the school on a 38-acre campus. Levi Brannigan asked why the meeting could not require a setback. After debate was closed, the referral failed on a voice vote.
Corbo then moved to require a minimum 1,200-foot setback from any school building. Another voter moved to change that number to 500 feet. On a counted vote, voters chose 500 feet, 89-30. That vote set only the number in the proposed amendment. School Committee Vice Chair Chris Tracy urged voters to reject the setback: “We have to keep the kids in that building safe”. Rachel Hughes, speaking as a resident, called the article “the very first step” toward fixing the problem. The 500-foot setback amendment then failed on a voice and hand vote, and the original article passed by two-thirds.
Pension prepayment. Article 7 asked voters to move $2 million from the General Stabilization Fund to the Plymouth County Retirement Association before Dec. 31. The fund had a balance of $2,754,917. The Advisory Committee moved to take no action; five of its members opposed the article over the use of emergency reserves and three supported it. The committee’s commentary said prepaying would leave Hanover paying $597,200 less through 2032, before lost interest on the fund.
Select Board member James Hoyes said the town’s pension contribution is projected to fall by more than $10 million after fiscal 2032. Speaking personally, Hoyes said that without relief the town could face an operating override to keep services level. Select Board member Vanessa O’Connor said the chance to prepay “is gone as of December 31st, 2026”.
Voters rejected the Advisory Committee’s no-action motion. Hoyes then moved the $2 million prepayment, which passed by two-thirds on a voice and hand vote.
