Planning Board Rejects Peer-Review Waiver, 4-3

Planning Board · Meeting of October 6, 2026

HOPKINTON — The Hopkinton Planning Board failed, 4-3, to waive an extra peer review for a site-plan amendment at 87 Hayden Rowe, short of the five votes needed to carry, and continued the hearing to October 19. Project representative Ken Driscoll called a building commissioner's inspection-related letter "a hundred percent false," backed by subcontractors Lou Desmaris and Joe Irvine, who testified the town inspected the work repeatedly during construction. In a joint session, Chair Matthew Wronka told the Select Board that bringing all 77 disputed private and "ancient way" roads up to public standard could cost from $1.25 million to $28 million, with added annual maintenance around $433,000.

The board also continued hearings on a 0 Benson Road subdivision amendment to November 2 and an Eversource scenic-road violation on Ash Street to October 19, and voted 6-0 to recommend Town Meeting defeat a citizen petition requiring five-year comprehensive zoning reviews.

In the full story:

• Joint Session With Select Board: The State of Private Road Acceptance
• 87 Hayden Rowe: Peer-Review Dispute and a Failed Waiver Vote
• 0 Benson Road: Subdivision Amendment Continued
• 147 Ash Street: Scenic Road Violation by Eversource
• Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles 21 and 22
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,219 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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