Rehoboth Planning Board orders peer reviews, extends solar battery storage hearing to May

REHOBOTH — April 15, 2026 — Rehoboth Planning Board continued a solar array and battery storage hearing at 233 Winthrop Street, ordering two separate peer reviews before a permit vote can be held. The board voted unanimously to send the project's stormwater report to Fuss and O'Neill and separately voted to solicit a cost estimate from an unnamed battery systems specialist — contact developed by an absent board member — with the board retaining authority to choose the final reviewer. The roughly 720-kilowatt DC project, filed by Annual Associates, also requires a written statement from the fire chief confirming that revised plans, including a new 20-foot fire access road designed for a Mack 10-wheeler tanker, meet his requirements. Fire protection engineer from Code Red Consultants and Darren Johnston of Cronus Engineering answered board questions about thermal runaway protocol, explaining that the recommended response is to establish a perimeter and let the event run its course rather than apply water. The hearing was continued to May 6, 2026.