Wilmington board continues billboard hearing over AG authority dispute
Select Board · Meeting of August 17, 2026
Wilmington Select Board delays billboard permit after residents challenge its legal authority to act. The board voted unanimously to continue a special permit hearing for an 85-foot digital billboard at 155 West Street to September 14, after resident Suzanne Sullivan told members "you do not have the authority to act on this matter tonight" while the enabling zoning article awaits Massachusetts Attorney General approval, due October 15. Member Gary DePalma, who backed the article at Town Meeting, said he'd "rather proceed with caution." The board also unanimously adopted expanded alcohol-service hours (8 a.m. to 2 a.m.) and authorized a $590,000 MWRA sewer bond.
More than an hour of public comment centered on the Wildwood Elementary School site, where residents say 23,850 cubic yards of arsenic-impacted soil is being removed; Town Manager R. Eric Slagle countered that "our LSP and Mass DEP agree that it's naturally occurring arsenic."
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,741 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of August 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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