Pond properties
The commission fined Mary Anne Campbell of 12 Peninsula Road $500 for cutting trees within the 200-foot wetlands buffer zone of Bare Hill Pond last fall without first filing a notice of intent. The commission also commended her for generally maintaining the site’s natural vegetation and drainage and for not installing lawns and not using fertilizer.
The commission is scrutinizing work done at the Laursen property at 13 Peninsula Road that could possibly disturb drainage and runoff to Bare Hill Pond. The commissioners said the work included paving a gravel drive, installing stone curbing and lampposts, cutting trees, and replacing native vegetation with rhododendrons, nonnative species, mulch, and lawn. “What is going on here is not what we would have recommended for this area,” said Commissioner Wendy Sisson. The commission offered remediation suggestions but postponed any further action until the snow cover clears and a site walk is possible.
The commissioners expressed a desire to help property owners work within wetlands requirements rather than impose fines and order after-the-fact remediation. Any building, construction, or site alteration within a wetlands protection area requires prior approval from the commission. Property owners should contact land-use administrator and conservation agent Liz Allard at Town Hall Monday through Thursday, 978-456-4161, for information and guidance.
