The Danvers Conservation Commission voted unanimously on Oct. 9 to grant a waiver for a short sewer connection within the 50-foot no-build zone and to issue a negative determination of applicability for Old Neighborhood Foods’ proposed wastewater treatment building at 18 Electronics Ave.

The applicants, represented by Connor Nagle of VHB, said the project adds a pump station and a small treatment building to clean some process waste before discharge to the municipal sewer system. Nagle described the work to the commission, saying the addition involves “the addition of a, wastewater treatment plant to treat some of the process waste before it's discharged into the municipal system.”

Commission members were told the new pump station sits on the east side of the site and connects to a treatment building partially within the 100-foot buffer; the connection to the municipal sewer is just inside the 50-foot buffer. Nagle said the work is “all within the existing pavement,” and that converting a small paved area to rooftop slightly improves stormwater runoff by allowing infiltration from roof drains.

The commission granted a waiver to allow the short pipe connection into an existing manhole located within the 50-foot no-build area. The commission also placed standard erosion-control conditions on the work and noted that the project will require separate sewer permitting and a building permit through DPW/engineering.

Commissioners asked about solids handling and chemical storage. Nagle said he was not intimately familiar with the manufacturer’s process but that chemicals would be stored inside the treatment building and that the project will require “sewer permit[s] from engineering DPW,” which he said will address code and permit conditions.

The negative determination and the waiver were each moved and seconded and approved with all members present voting in favor.

The applicants were told to proceed with the town permitting process and to provide the commission with erosion-control details and the DPW sewer permitting documents as they become available.