Hatfield Select Board Approves Fishtails Outdoor Dining License and Solar PILOT Deal

HATFIELD -- June 9, 2020, Hatfield Select Board approves outdoor liquor license for Fishtails Bar and Grill and a 20-year solar PILOT deal. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to allow Fitzgerald's of Hatfield Inc., doing business as Fishtails Bar and Grill at 5 School Street, to add a permanent outdoor dining patio under an altered premises license, with attorney Frank Caruso citing COVID-19 reopening rules and a need to return employees to work. Neighbor Michael Hogan raised procedural concerns about newspaper notice and the potential effect on the quiet residential street, but Caruso said the single required publication and certified abutter mailings were completed as required by statute. In a separate unanimous vote, the board approved a 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with Select Energy for a rooftop solar array at Smith Academy, which town administrator Marlene said will provide the school with electricity savings alongside annual tax payments to the town. The board also learned the Town Hall renovation closed at approximately $2,293,611, roughly $109,914, or about 5 percent, over its original $2,183,698 estimate, well below the 25 percent threshold that would have triggered additional review.