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Plaistow public hearing on prime-wetland designations draws heated objections from homeowners
Summary
During a joint public hearing, residents voiced strong opposition to proposed prime-wetland designations and expanded buffers (50–100 feet), citing property impacts, potential value loss, and unclear mapping; the Planning Board will vote Dec. 18 on whether to place related zoning and warrant articles on the March ballot.
The Plaistow Planning Board and Conservation Commission held a joint public hearing Dec. 8 on proposed prime-wetland designations and corresponding increases to local buffer setbacks. The hearing featured a technical presentation by Mark West of West Environmental and extended public comment from dozens of residents who said new buffers would restrict property use and reduce home values.
Mark West, a certified wetland scientist with West Environmental, summarized the townwide wetland inventory and functional scoring process used to identify 21 candidate prime wetlands. West described methods that combined the National Wetland Inventory, LIDAR/Bridal elevation mapping and field verification and said the candidates total roughly 386 acres (about 5.6% of the town). He explained that prime-wetland impacts require higher mitigation thresholds under the Department of…
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