Stoughton Select Board denies outdoor party permit, cites parking and felony conviction

Select Board · Meeting of July 28, 2026

Stoughton Select Board unanimously denies outdoor party permit, approves dual intersection safety plans. The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to deny a one-day all-alcohol license for an 800-person outdoor event at 925 Pleasant Street after Deputy Chief of Police James E. O'Connor recommended denial, citing a felony conviction in one organizer's background, an on-site parking lot holding only about 50 vehicles, and no viable overflow parking; had the board approved the permit, the police department's required conditions would have included 12 detail officers at a total cost of $12,306.24.

In separate 4-0 votes, the board approved an immediate four-way stop and pedestrian refuge at the Pleasant Street and Lincoln Street intersection — where the town's front-line ladder truck was knocked out of service roughly two years ago — while endorsing a full signalized intersection as a long-term solution with a design article targeted for a November 16 fall town meeting; the board also approved a GPI-designed visibility enhancement package at the School Street and Pearl Street intersection outside town hall, including flashing LED beacons, stop-ahead pavement markings, and reflectorized post tape, with crash data review built in at six and 12 months. More than an hour of public comment focused on allegations of misconduct by Town Manager Tom Coulter, including speaker Nancy Shaw calling on town meeting representatives to gather 200 signatures to force a special town meeting demanding an independent investigation of Coulter under the town charter.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,442 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.