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Committee flags maps and aquifer protection; staff to clarify travel-time zones and utility layers
Summary
Committee members asked staff to improve maps showing Branch Brook aquifer recharge areas (200- and 2,500-day travel-time zones), make color/legend changes, and provide clearer sewer and water layering for East-of-Turnpike planning. Staff confirmed the maps use older GIS files and will revise color schemes and add delineating lines.
Committee members raised multiple map and groundwater-protection issues and asked staff for clearer graphics and data sources.
Staff and consultant Rich explained the maps show modeled groundwater travel-time zones for the Branch Brook aquifer, including a 200-day and a 2,500-day travel-time area used to indicate vulnerability and recharge sensitivity. Rich said the travel-time areas came from prior modeling: "The 200 day travel time area ... the salmon color ... is the 2500 day travel time" and that the map currently uses older data from the prior plan (SEG 2110'01 5). He confirmed the team can revise the color scheme and add delineation lines so the zones are clearer on printed copies.
Committee members also requested full-size, East-of-Turnpike maps showing existing public water and sewer infrastructure to better assess where future development could connect to utilities. One member said the current sewer layer may be hidden beneath the public-water layer in the small-scale maps; staff confirmed they have GIS layers and will improve visibility.
Next steps: staff will adjust the map color scheme, add boundary lines for travel-time zones, and prepare larger utility maps for the committee's review before the next meeting. Committee members also agreed staff should contact the water district to check for any updated GIS or mapping products.
Quotes from the meeting: Rich summarized the aquifer concern and mapping needs, and staff committed to revising the visualizations and sharing larger, clearer maps ahead of the land-use discussion.
