Conservation commission recommends variance for Barn at 40 Bar Farm Road

The Bedford Conservation Commission voted Sept. 23 to recommend approval of a variance to permit construction of a new barn at 45.8 feet from the edge of a wetland, where the town's structural setback requires 50 feet, and to approve an after‑the‑fact variance for a 20‑by‑24 shed at 39.9 feet.

Resident Jeremy Chad Laird told the commission the two concrete pads were poured roughly 20 years ago and that recent wetland delineation created a small area of encroachment. He said he would remove an existing fabric hut and place a single, formally built structure on the existing slab footprint. Laird described steep topography near the pond as limiting his ability to shift the building farther from the wetland.

Kathleen Ports, the town conservation planner, confirmed Laird had submitted plot plans and a wetlands delineation. Commissioner William Crowder asked for engineered stormwater treatment; Crowder and other members described a 2‑foot stone‑filled infiltration trench with an SDR pipe or a comparable swale as an appropriate condition to treat runoff before water reaches the wetland.

Commissioner Carter (mover) made the motion recommending approval with the stormwater treatment condition; it was seconded and the commission voted in favor. The commission’s recommendation goes to the zoning board, which makes the final determination on the variance.

Why this matters: Wetland setbacks are intended to protect water quality and habitat. The commission concluded that because the pads already exist and the applicant is not seeking additional excavation, the requested relief with a small drainage treatment would limit new impacts while allowing cleanup of an older, informal structure.

What happens next: The commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the zoning board for a final decision. The commission required a 2‑foot infiltration trench or equivalent best management practice be included in the plan.