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Charlton commission orders trench at 62 Old Whistler Road partially filled with stone and to be reassessed
Summary
The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission voted to require the existing trench at 62 Old Whistler Road be filled with stone and the outcome reassessed, after staff said the exposed trench is causing stormwater to discharge onto the road and risks diverting water onto a neighbor’s leach field.
The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission voted to have the existing trench at 62 Old Whistler Road filled with stone and reassess the runoff outcome, after town staff described an unresolved stormwater problem that surfaced when winter melt and saturation caused water to find a leftover trench and discharge onto the road.
A staff member told the commission the trench had been dug last year to keep water off a neighbor’s leach field and that a pipe installed on the property discharges within the parcel. The staff member said the trench was intended as a temporary measure and that “it’s against our bylaws to put a trench to direct stormwater,” and noted the trench left from last year now allows water to reach the road when the ground is saturated.
Commissioners discussed several options: granting a waiver, partially filling the trench, or filling it with stone to slow flow and reduce the chance of water moving onto the abutting property. One commissioner told the group a stone fill would slow velocity and allow some leaching, and staff cautioned the commission not to prescribe specific products or suppliers.
After discussion the commission member who moved the recommendation to have the trench filled with stone was seconded and the motion carried. The commission directed that the trench be filled at the property owner’s discretion (not prescribing stone size or brand) and that staff reassess the result after installation.
The staff member cautioned that filling the trench solves the road discharge but warned the property owner must not redirect runoff onto an abutting parcel. The commission did not assign a specific deadline in the motion; staff will monitor the outcome and return with an update if needed.
What happens next: the town will expect the property owner to take action consistent with the motion, staff will inspect the trench after stone fill and report back to the commission, and the commission retains enforcement authority under its stormwater bylaws if runoff is redirected onto a neighbor’s parcel.
