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Board continues review of irrigation-well variance at 468 Davisville Road after unclear plot plan
Summary
The Town of Falmouth Board of Health continued an irrigation-well variance request for 468 Davisville Road on April 13 after members found the applicant's clipped plot plan hard to read and requested a full survey, a completed well-application and clearer mapping. The board also discussed revisiting its 50-foot irrigation setback rule.
The Town of Falmouth Board of Health on April 13 voted to continue consideration of an irrigation-well variance request for 468 Davisville Road after members said the plan materials submitted by the applicant were too limited to verify setbacks, septic locations and the relationship to neighboring lots.
The board heard from staff that the applicant's submitted print was a certified plot plan excerpt showing the proposed irrigation well would be about 68 feet from a leach field and that no septic systems were within 50 feet on the portion shown. Several members, however, said the clipped plan was difficult to read and that satellite images and town GIS appeared to place a house under construction close to the proposed well site.
"This plan is just hard to follow; a circle or a highlighter would have saved us twenty minutes," said a board member during the discussion, urging a clearer, colored markup and a complete survey. Staff and members agreed the board must rely on Falmouth GIS for official mapping rather than third-party imagery where discrepancies appear.
Why it matters: irrigation wells near property lines can affect neighbors' ability to install septic systems and present long-term compliance questions. The board signaled it will require applicants seeking a 50-foot setback waiver to provide clearer documentation so staff can confirm measured distances and avoid repeating prior ambiguous submittals.
Board guidance and next steps - The board asked the applicant to return with a full, professionally prepared survey or a larger certified plan that clearly shows the house footprint, septic location(s), utilities and the proposed well location. The board asked that the town well-application form be completed and included with any resubmittal. - Members discussed whether the town's current 50-foot setback for irrigation wells should be reviewed; one member argued a 10-foot standard would be adequate and would reduce waiver requests, while others emphasized that any change should be considered in a broader regulatory review and not decided in the variance process. - The board voted to continue the variance request so staff and the applicant can provide the requested materials; no final approval was given.
What was decided A motion to continue consideration of the 468 Davisville Road irrigation-well variance was made, seconded and carried; the board requested a clearer plan, completion of the town well application and a survey showing relevant features before the item returns.
Attribution and sources Statements in this article are based on the April 13 meeting record and board-member remarks. The board relied on town GIS as its authoritative mapping source during the discussion.
Next procedural step The applicant will be asked to resubmit with the completed well-application and a larger certified plan or survey; the variance will be reconsidered by the board once those materials are received.
