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Board presses developer on 70‑foot buffers and well locations after Brookside site walk
Summary
After a site walk, the board recommended a larger vegetated buffer, clarified well‑exclusion mapping and continued the Brookside workshop for 30 days so revised plans can show deed notes, signage and a shaded well zone to prevent misplaced wells.
Planning staff told the board on Aug. 5 that a recent site walk of the Brookside Subdivision revealed both cleared areas within the 50‑foot no‑cut buffer and room to expand a planting buffer to 70 feet in some places. Staff recommended maintaining at least 20 feet of the 50‑foot buffer for sight‑distance safety and proposed adding supplemental evergreen plantings behind cleared portions to establish a visual screen.
Developer Jason Lebonte confirmed he and his team had prepared a revised plan that would provide a 70‑foot buffer ‘‘all the way from 1 all the way around’’ for most lots except two very tight lots, and he said the team would submit the drawing in the next revision. The board sought explicit plan language and deed restrictions to prevent future homeowners from cutting the buffer: one board member said, "So we put it in the deed to when they buy the house, they understand that they cannot cut the buffer?" and the applicant agreed the deed note and buffer signage could be added.
A substantial portion of the discussion focused on wells: staff and members described recurring problems when well drillers place wells inside hatched exclusion zones or too close to neighbor septic systems. Multiple board members proposed showing a shaded "well zone" (an area where a well may be sited) rather than just an exclusion line or the small letter 'W' symbol on plans. Staff agreed that clearer legend graphics, plan notes stating "no wells within the well exclusion zone," and shading for allowed well areas would reduce mistakes and the need for repeated amendments.
Board action: after the discussion the board voted to continue the Brookside workshop for 30 days to allow the applicant to revise plans to show the 70‑foot buffer where feasible, include deed language and improve well/legend graphics.
Next steps: applicant to submit revised plans showing buffer notes, deed language, buffer signage locations and a clarified well zone; staff will review the revisions before the next meeting.
