Sheffield Select Board approves Kelsey Road layout, denies Verizon solicitation permit

LENOX -- April 21, 2026, Sheffield Select Board approves Kelsey Road bridge layout, bars Verizon door-to-door sales. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a formal order of layout for a portion of Kelsey Road under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 82, clearing a required procedural step for replacement of bridge S-10-015 using a plan prepared by WSP USA, Incorporated and dated September 4, 2025, despite a resident named George arguing from the floor that the road's boundaries were settled by court order in 1889 and questioning whether the board knew the road's width. The board also unanimously denied a door-to-door solicitation permit for Verizon FiOS, consistent with what members described as a standing policy against door-to-door canvassing, with member Patrick noting he had voted the same way on a prior solar-company permit. In a significant announcement, board member Rhonda said the school budget has been pulled from the May 4 Annual Town Meeting warrant, which will carry 25 other articles at Mount Everett Auditorium, after all five towns in the regional district agreed to give the school committee more time to produce verified financial figures, with a special town meeting now anticipated in June.