Town Meeting: Fall Day Two – October 22, 2026

Chelmsford Fall Town Meeting, Day Two, convened October 22, 2026, and considered several zoning articles; no procurement activity, contract awards, bids, or vendor selections were identified. Article 21 revised definitions and use rules for small, moderate, and heavy contractor/service businesses, including vehicle and equipment thresholds and special-permit requirements. The article passed with 84 votes in favor. Article 23 established tiered zoning definitions for data centers based on electrical use, floor area, and supporting infrastructure; it passed 95–24, with one abstention. Discussion focused on potential noise, generator use, water and electricity consumption, and the absence of caps on the number of facilities.

Article 22 passed 96–27, with two abstentions. It moves affordable-housing payment-in-lieu amounts from the bylaw to regulations and provides for periodic review; the Planning Board said it planned to update the amounts through a public hearing with housing agencies and expressed a preference for built affordable units over payments. Officials cited approximately $1 million in payments accumulated since 2015. No new fee amounts or spending allocations were approved. Article 25, which would have rezoned Riverneck Road parcels from industrial to commercial-light classifications, failed to obtain the required two-thirds vote (34 in favor, 81 opposed, five abstentions). Article 26 addressed rezoning near Monmouth Street, McFarland Road, and Apollo Drive; a proposed amendment to change residential zoning designations failed, but the transcript does not clearly capture the article’s final vote or outcome.