New Rock‑a‑Dundee lot flagged for work inside 200‑ft stream buffer; commission to inspect in spring

Town conservation staff told the commission on Feb. 18 that the Board of Health alerted them to a recently subdivided roughly 12.5‑acre parcel on Rock‑a‑Dundee where a proposed house and septic appear inside the 200‑foot stream buffer of a perennial stream (part of the Scantic system).

Staff said they sent letters to the septic designer and the contractor explaining the commission’s concerns and the requirements of the River Protection Act. "The proposed house and then the septic tank is well within the 200 ft," a member said during the meeting. The commission noted that some limited work is allowed inside a 200‑foot buffer in constrained circumstances, but new houses typically require a full Notice of Intent and a finding that no other location is feasible.

Why it matters: construction and septic work inside a river buffer can affect water quality and protected resources; the commission will inspect the site and determine whether a formal permitting process is required.

Commission staff recommended a site inspection after snow melt to verify on‑the‑ground conditions, reconcile discrepancies between the applicant’s maps and the commission’s wetland delineations, and determine whether the parcel will need a full permitting review. Members said a house measuring roughly 20 by 30 feet was shown on maps, and they questioned whether the contractor had depicted an additional wetland that the commission’s mapping does not show.

The commission expects follow‑up this spring and will schedule a site visit to confirm whether the proposed work can proceed under an allowed activity or whether the applicants must file a Notice of Intent. Staff will update the commission with any submissions from the septic designer or contractor before the inspection.