Press Release: 10/30/2026
Zoning Amendments to Agriculture Proposed at Upcoming Special Town Meeting
Conservation / PlanningPosted on October 29, 2026
Between 2024 and 2026, the Town of South Hadley Planning Board, in coordination with the Planning & Conservation Department, the Board of Health, municipal legal counsel, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), and an Agricultural Bylaws Advisory Committee, undertook a comprehensive review of the Town’s zoning regulations governing agricultural activities at both the residential and commercial scales. This planning effort has culminated in a package of zoning bylaw amendments to be voted on at the November 9th Town Meeting in South Hadley.
The proposed bylaw amendments replace the existing long-standing reactive zoning bylaws full of ambiguities, internal contradictions, and narrowly focused regulations with a modernized zoning umbrella supportive of a community-wide agricultural framework and local food network. This framework explicitly aligns South Hadley’s municipal land use controls with Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) Chapter 128, Section 1A (the statutory definition of farming), and MGL Chapter 40A, Section 3 (the state statutory zoning exemptions for commercial agriculture). The initiative addresses ambiguities and internal contradictions within the municipal Use Regulations Schedule, and conflicts between residential animal keeping and commercial operation. Furthermore, the bylaws support local economic growth and stability through the allowance of accessory farm related businesses through Site Plan Review approval by the Planning Board. The proposed bylaws establish clear policy objectives aiming to provide reasonable regulations for both exempt and non-exempt commercial agriculture, operationalize South Hadley’s designation as a "Right to Farm" community under Chapter 138 of the General Bylaws by enabling farm viability, direct-to-consumer sales, and supplemental revenue streams, and fulfill the agricultural land preservation goals articulated in the Town Master Plan and Open Space and Recreation Plan.
Following public listening sessions, advisory committee reviews, and formal public hearings, the Planning Board voted unanimously (4–0) to recommend adoption of the replacement bylaws. Vote YES on Article 9!
Planning Board Report to Town Meeting: https://www.southhadley.org/DocumentCenter/View/15483/Report-to-Town-Meeting---Agricultural-Uses-Bylaw-Amendments---101326
Read Full Statement here: https://www.southhadley.org/DocumentCenter/View/15512/Press-Release---Summary-of-Agriculture-Bylaw-Amendments-for-Town-Meeting---102826
For more information, contact below:
Anne Capra, AICP, Director of Planning and Conservation
(413) 538-5030 x6128