Planning Board hears reservoir plan, approves routine votes

Planning Board · Meeting of September 14, 2026

Dartmouth Planning Board hears pitch for a town reservoir, then rails against state zoning mandate. Longtime resident Thomas Red urged the board to dam old cranberry bogs owned by the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, land member Nicholas Psichopaidas calculated could hold roughly 78 million gallons, arguing "the water is sitting in Dartmouth, and we're buying that damn water that's sitting here in the town." The board voted 4-0 to file correspondence and 5-0 to adjourn to a September 28 Zoom meeting. Members spent much of the session objecting to a statewide push, backed by a reported $5 million war chest, to mandate 5,000-square-foot minimum lots near town water and sewer; Psichopaidas called state override of local zoning "grossly disrespectful." The board flagged informational forums on ballot Questions 1-5 (September 17, Keith Middle School) and 6-9 (September 22, Dartmouth Town Hall).

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,380 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.