Foxborough Planning Board Approves NextGrid Solar Array at East Belcher Road Rink

FOXBOROUGH — March 12, 2026 — Foxborough Planning Board unanimously approves nearly 1,900-kilowatt solar array at local ice rink. The board voted 5-0 Thursday to grant site plan approval to NextGrid for a combined rooftop and carport solar installation at 10 East Belcher Road and 4 Springbrook Road, an ice skating rink in the town's limited industrial district. The 1,897-kilowatt DC system will connect to the grid at 999 kilowatts AC under the Massachusetts SMART program, with surplus energy stored in a two-and-a-half-hour battery. NextGrid representative Mike Patterson said the rink owner will receive a roof replacement and 20-year lease revenue in exchange for the site rights. The board also released a $15,000 performance guarantee bond for the completed Station One project at 44 School Street and heard that four zoning-related articles — including a Depot Avenue Overlay District and a master plan endorsement — are headed to spring Town Meeting.