WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE – 01/06/26
Happy New Year from eHop! Here’s the first weekly news update for 2026.
MEET EHOP’S 2026 MARATHON RUNNER
We are excited to introduce our 2026 Boston Marathon runner, Gregory Sobol! Gregory lives in New Jersey with his wife and daughter and has traveled the world competing in 7 marathons to date. We are grateful for his support of eHop’s mission and are looking forward to cheering him on from the start line!
To learn more about Gregory or make a donation click here. Any showing of support is greatly appreciated!
FROM THE TOWN MANAGER’S OFFICE
Senior & Disabled Tax Relief Fund
Town homeowners aged 60+ or with a state-recognized disability who own and occupy a single-family home as their primary residence, and who meet household income requirements, are encouraged to apply for assistance with paying their property tax bills. The application deadline is February 20, 2026.
For further information and links to apply or to donate to the fund, see Press Release from the Hopkinton Tax Relief Committee.
Annual Town Meeting Notice
Per the Town of Hopkinton 2026 Annual Town Meeting Notice:
“The 2026 Annual Town Meeting will commence on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The warrant will open on Friday, January 2, 2026. Please be advised that warrant articles may be submitted to the Select Board/Town Manager’s office at that time. In accordance with the Town Charter, the warrant will close on February 1, 2026. Article language must be submitted to the Select Board/Town Manager’s office by February 1, 2026, via email as a shared Google Doc or in Microsoft Word format, to Lance DelPriore at ldelp…@hopkintonma.gov, or on paper by mailing or delivery to Town Manager’s Office, 18 Main St., Hopkinton MA 01748. Please see the Guide for Citizen Petitioners on the Town website for information about submitting articles by petition, at \Public Portal\Hopkinton Town Government 101\Citizen Petitioner’s Guide.”
PLANNING BOARD
At its Monday meeting, the Planning Board reviewed 4 proposed plans from the Zoning Advisory Committee modifying the town’s current MBTA Communities overlay zoning district plan to bring it into full compliance with state requirements. (The town’s previously approved plan failed to meet the 50% contiguous area district requirement.) Of the 4 plans presented, ZAC recommended “Plan E” which proposes adding a strip of nine parcels on Walcott Street to connect Walcott Valley with the downtown district to create one complying contiguous district. Members raised questions and expressed varying support of the presented plans. When asked about removing parcels in the current downtown district to make the merged district as small as possible, principal planner Aneri Patel explained that the plan must also meet other state requirements regarding unit capacity and density. Patel noted that she is awaiting state feedback on the proposed plans. The board will revisit the issue at its January 26th meeting.
The board also heard a proposal for a one-story office and retail building at an undeveloped site off Lumber Street, sought to be used by a veterinary clinic. Questions were raised regarding stormwater runoff, sidewalk width, and EV charging station infrastructure, for which further information is sought. A site walk is planned for Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and the hearing continued until the next meeting.
In other business, the board unanimously approved the Parks & Recreation Department’s request to withdraw its proposal for the Pyne Field redevelopment project.
Planning Board takes first look at proposed MBTA Communities plans to meet state compliance guidelines (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 01/06/25)