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Select Board discusses LeBaron Hills water ownership, missing as‑builts and next steps
Summary
Select Board members pressed for action after learning as‑built utility records for the LeBaron Hills development are incomplete; the board asked staff to contact the state Department of Environmental Protection and other parties to clarify responsibility for water infrastructure and remediation of any defects.
Select Board members on April 28 discussed longstanding concerns about the water system at the LeBaron Hills development and the absence of comprehensive as‑built engineering records for early phases of the project.
The board reviewed a 2023 letter from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) related to the development’s water management and discussed the difficulty in confirming what infrastructure exists in the ground. Select Board members and staff said prior approvals and phases appear not to have produced accessible, consolidated as‑built plans, which complicates any effort to shift ownership or resolve liability with Taunton Water or the developer.
Board members suggested several next steps, including: reaching out to DEP to ask for the current status of the agency’s oversight and enforcement, contacting the developer to request any missing as‑built documents, and consulting former local Zoning Board of Appeals leadership who oversaw earlier permits. Town staff said they will also look for any as‑built materials in town archives and follow up with Taunton Water to explore whether Taunton would accept system ownership once the as‑builts and inspections are complete.
No vote was taken; the Select Board instructed staff to pursue the records, engage DEP for clarification, and, if necessary, invite the developer to a public meeting to address outstanding documentation and remediation responsibilities.
