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Homeowner seeks seasonal dock and extended stairs; commission approves with conditions and Chapter 91 noted
Summary
A property owner at 249 Lake Ave asked for a notice of intent to install a seasonal aluminum dock and extend existing stairs; staff and commissioners approved orders of conditions with conditions requiring Chapter 91 license, storage upland outside bordering land subject to flooding, and limits on fuel storage.
Homeowner Leonidas Dos Reis and engineer John Plifka told the Worcester Conservation Commission on June 9 that they seek permission to extend an existing staircase and install a seasonal prefabricated aluminum dock at 249 Lake Ave on Lake Quinsigamond. After questions from staff and commissioners about the amount of structure within the 15-foot wetland buffer zone, the commission voted to issue orders of conditions with several dock-specific conditions.
John Plifka of McCarty Engineering described the proposal as an extension of previously approved stairs and the addition of a seasonal aluminum dock that would be removed each winter. "The dock's gonna be a prefabricated aluminum dock. It's very consistent with existing docks on the lake and will be removed at the end of each season," Plifka said. He explained the footings are temporary and the landing behind the wall would be placed permanently.
Staff noted two regulatory issues: recent FEMA preliminary maps changed flood elevations that define bordering land subject to flooding, and the project proposes more structural elements within the 15-foot buffer than the commission had anticipated when the staircase was first approved. Staff recommended removing a redundant staircase on the northern property line to minimize permanent structure within the 15-foot buffer. The applicant said retaining one set of stairs is necessary because of a tall existing retaining wall and the revised dock location requested by the state Chapter 91 authority.
The commission discussed alternatives including helical piles (which the applicant said were impractical because of slope and access) and supplemental plantings to offset buffer impacts. Staff told the commission it would require the applicant to demonstrate a Chapter 91 license prior to issuance of a certificate of compliance, require that seasonal dock components be stored upland outside of bordering land subject to flooding and secured against flood damage, and prohibit fuel storage within 100 feet of the lake. Commissioners approved the orders of conditions; motion to issue passed with unanimous aye votes from Commissioners Canton, Kirschner, Nystrom and Chair Diane Fattoni.
Why it matters: the application affects a sensitive shoreline area where federal and state flood mapping and Chapter 91 jurisdiction interact with local wetland buffers; the commission attached conditions to address seasonal storage, flood risk and required state licensing.
