ZBA Denies Chicopee Road Cell Tower Variance

Zoning Board of Appeals · Meeting of August 19, 2026

GROTON — The Groton Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4-1 to deny Tower Com LLC's variance request for a monopole wireless facility at 703 Chicopee Road. A prior motion to approve the tower under modified setbacks, 150 feet from the maintenance building and 135 feet from the road, drew only three of the required four votes and failed. Attorney Francis Parisian argued the board's proposed alternate site was "not investable" and cited recent changes to Massachusetts variance law on financial hardship.

Board member Jay called Tower Com's claim that no viable alternative existed "simply wrong." Planning Board member Phil Francisco, speaking as a private citizen, urged both sides to look past a single disputed map point. The company has 30 days to appeal to federal court or must wait two years to reapply.

In the full story:

• Opening and Roll Call
• Applicant's Response to the Board's Alternate Siting Proposal
• Endangered-Species Constraints and the Natural Heritage Review
• Variance Law Standard and the Financial Hardship Argument
• Public Comment
• Tower Safety and Indemnification
• Negotiating a 40-Foot Shift
• Procedural Steps and Outcome
• Implications and What Is Next
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,870 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting of August 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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