Littleton Select Board Approves Tavern in the Square Manager, Eyes Data Center Ban

LITTLETON — June 8, 2026 — Littleton Select Board approves liquor license manager change and moves toward a data center zoning ban. The board unanimously approved a change of manager for Tavern in the Square at 810 Constitution Ave. under M.G.L. c. 138, §15 at its June 8 meeting, then agreed by consensus to draft a restrictive zoning bylaw modeled on one passed by Mansfield that would limit or ban large-scale data centers — facilities that board member Kyle Bupp said can consume 50 or more megawatts and have driven utility rate increases of up to 267 percent in Virginia markets. The board also authorized approximately $16,000 in salary lag funds to bring former Peabody Parks Director Jennifer Davis on as interim Parks, Recreation and Community Education Director through at least August, voted unanimously to inactivate the Master Plan Implementation Committee after no meetings since 2023, and transferred a combined $19,020.83 from reserves to the Assessor's and Elder and Human Services budgets for a software upgrade and a new senior center administrative position. A lengthy public comment session focused on the Friends of the COA thrift shop, which faces displacement from the First Baptist Church and is seeking space in a town building; Town Administrator James Duggan said any municipal tenancy would require a formal request for proposals and is further complicated by an ongoing architectural assessment of the town hall complex.