The Agricultural Advisory Commission has proposed a number of changes to the Planning Board’s erosion control bylaw draft. Commissioners attended the board’s Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 meetings, where they suggested reducing the restrictions that the bylaw would place on Harvard residents.
According to Land Use Administrator Liz Allard, construction and improvement projects in Harvard regularly disrupt natural barriers to erosion, such as grass and tree roots. In these cases, topsoil may be washed into new areas, such as public roads, wetlands, and neighbors’ properties, where it causes damage. The Conservation Commission attempted to pass an erosion control bylaw, but it was voted down at Town Meeting in April 2016. The Planning Board is now drafting a new bylaw taking into account people’s concerns with the previous version.
The proposed erosion control bylaw applies to projects that involve clearing of a contiguous area totaling 30,000 square feet, or 5,000 square feet on a slope at a 25 percent grade. In such cases, the property owner would need to submit an engineering plan for the Planning Board’s approval, detailing measures being taken to prevent erosion. Noncommercial agricultural projects would follow a less strict minor permitting process, while commercial agriculture would be entirely exempt.
According to Agricultural Advisory Commission Chair Kerri Green, the commission deliberated at its Jan. 30 meeting, and members decided that while they agree that erosion control restrictions are needed for large construction projects, the current version is too onerous for regular homeowners. She also expressed fears that the bylaw would “put a notch in Harvard’s reputation as an agriculture-friendly town.”
