Rehoboth selectmen take up Special Town Meeting articles Oct. 19; Planning Board may vote on data center zoning Oct. 28

Updated Oct. 18 with more detail.

REHOBOTH Rehoboth's Board of Selectmen will "discuss Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles with possible action" when it meets Monday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at Francis Hall, 27 Francis Farm Road, according to its posted agenda. Nine days later, on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the Planning Board holds a public hearing on zoning bylaws for data centers, and its agenda lists the item for "Discussion/Vote."

Neither agenda gives a date for a Special Town Meeting or says whether the data center bylaw will go before one. The town's Town Meeting Warrants page does not list a new warrant. The newest posted warrant is for the June 2, 2026, Annual Town Meeting.

Data center zoning

The Planning Board's Oct. 28 agenda lists one public hearing: "Town of Rehoboth - Zoning By-laws - Data Centers - Discussion/Vote." The town's calendar listing for the hearing gives only the date, time and place. We found no posted draft of the bylaw on the town website as of Oct. 18. Data centers do not appear in the June 2026 or November 2025 Town Meeting warrants, and they are not mentioned in the Planning Board minutes posted for July 15 through Sept. 16.

Under state zoning law, a town cannot adopt a zoning change "until after the planning board" has held a public hearing, and most zoning changes need "a two-thirds vote of a town meeting." A Planning Board vote sends a recommendation to Town Meeting. It does not adopt the bylaw.

Freetown's Planning Board scheduled a hearing on its own data center bylaw for Oct. 6, ahead of that town's Nov. 9 Special Town Meeting, according to Freetown's posted records.

Cannabis and other items Monday

The selectmen's agenda lists a discussion of an application for a cannabis dispensary host agreement and a separate item to "discuss with vote to adopt equity applicants as it relates to Cannabis Host Agreement." The agenda does not name the applicant or explain the equity item. The town has posted an undated Cannabis Social Equity Policies document on its Planning Board pages. It says that when new host community agreements become available, only qualifying social equity and economic empowerment applicants may seek them for six months, and that afterward 50% of available licenses, "but no less than 1," are reserved for social equity applicants. Neither cannabis nor a host agreement appears in the selectmen's minutes posted for Aug. 10, 24 and 31.

The board is also scheduled to vote on a "second payment for the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society (Library) for $83,889.00," the agenda says, with no other detail. A continued hearing on a Class II auto dealer license is set for 7:15 p.m.

Who decides

The five selectmen are Chairman Frederick E. "Skip" Vadnais Jr., Vice Chairman Leonard Mills Jr., Clerk George M. Solas, Robert Johnson II and David J. Pereira II, according to the board's August minutes. Town Administrator Susan Pimental staffs the board. The Planning Board is chaired by Patrick Landry, with Lynne Ferreira as vice chair, and Daniel Roach is the town planner, according to its agenda. Voters at Town Meeting have the final say on any zoning change.

How to weigh in

Both meetings are at Francis Hall. The Planning Board office, at 340 Anawan St., answers at 508-252-6891. The selectmen's office answers at 508-252-3758. People who need an accommodation to take part should contact the town administrator's office at least 48 hours ahead, at 508-252-3758 or SPimental@RehobothMA.gov, both agendas say. The selectmen meet next on Nov. 2, and the Planning Board on Nov. 4.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.