A rendering provided to the Board of Appeals by Rte 85 Realty Corp. shows the proposed layout for a country store and gas station at 290 West Main Street.

The Climate Action & Building Workgroups of the Sustainable Green Committee on Monday night talked about ways to regulate projects like the proposed gas station at 290 West Main Street in the future.

SGC chair Geoff Rowland began the discussion by reviewing the Board of Appeal’s use variance hearing for the proposed gas station and country store, which took place earlier in October. 

During that meeting, Rowland gave a prepared statement from the committee during public comment. In the statement, he cited environmental concerns, increasing electric vehicle (EV) usage by Hopkinton residents and the town’s net zero goals as reasons to deny the applicant’s use variance request.

After Rowland’s recap, the workgroups discussed what next steps would be on this issue and on potential fossil fuel infrastructure projects going forward.

Rowland emphasized a need for balancing development with the town’s commitment to sustainability.

“[We’re] not going to fight every new development,” said Rowland, “That’s not worth it.”

“The goal is that any new development should be as sustainable as possible,” he added.

One idea that dominated much of the discussion was implementing a new bylaw that could block future development of gas stations and other fossil fuel projects in town.

Member Paul Gallagher expressed opposition to the idea. “I think regulating them away probably won’t work,” he said, adding that such a ban could “run the risk of alienating people.”

He advocated for alternate approaches that would “[add] a thumb gently on the scale of being fully electric” instead of outright bans.

Added Gallagher: “I think that’s a better way to regulate than to just say, ‘Stop.’ ”

SGC vice chair Amy Groves agreed with concerns about over-legislating the issue. However, she recommended that if the larger committee wanted to make a push for enacting a bylaw, the process would need to start soon.

“We only get one good shot every year to go to Town Meeting,” said Groves. “It takes a while to socialize something and get it to pass.”

Given recent moves by the state Senate to adopt a revitalized climate bill and uncertainty that the final plans for 290 West Main Street would even include a gas station, member Nicole Simpson wondered if a move to develop a bylaw was worth the larger committee’s time.

“[It’s] a lot of work for something that may or may not happen anyway,” said Simpson.

Rowland agreed, stating there was “not much for us to do at this point besides wait.”

The workgroups agreed to bring the matter for discussion at the general SGC meeting and follow up after the next Board of Appeals meeting about the gas station project on Nov. 13.