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Homeowner cooperates after ATV activity found in wetlands buffer at 122 Saunders Street
Summary
After complaints about all‑terrain vehicle use inside the wetland buffer at 122 Saunders Street, the commission’s agent inspected the property, found mostly superficial tracks and agreed to monitor recovery; the homeowner said he stopped riding when notified.
The Conservation Commission reviewed reports of all‑terrain vehicle activity in the wetlands buffer at 122 Saunders Street and found the homeowner cooperative after a site inspection. Justin, the commission’s conservation agent, told commissioners he visited the property after complaints and concluded that most disturbance was shallow and superficial; he found “maybe 1 tire tread mark that was on the very edge of the wetland” and recommended letting natural vegetation reclaim the area rather than initiating a full restoration plan.
The homeowner, who identified himself as having lived at the property since November 2016, told the commission he was unaware the area was wetlands when he first rode on it and that he stopped after a neighbor alerted him. He said family members sometimes rode ATVs on the yard but that they ceased when neighbors objected. The agent said the tracks mainly touch or are within the inner 30‑foot buffer zone and noted that mapping accuracy can vary; he explained the commission’s mapping colors as green for the inner 30‑foot no‑disturb zone, yellow for the 60‑foot and red for the outer 40 of the 100‑foot buffer.
Commissioners advised the homeowner to avoid riding in the buffer and suggested he consider relocating riding to an established track outside town; the homeowner said he had options in other nearby towns. The commission agreed to check back in roughly one month to confirm natural revegetation and monitor compliance. No enforcement order or formal penalty was issued at the meeting.
