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Planning Board says Horsley Witten redline of stormwater regs arrives soon; board will review policy on <1-acre triggers
Summary
The West Newbury Planning Board heard an update that Horsley Witten’s redline of the town’s stormwater regulations is nearly complete and expected within a week; the board said it will review the draft and consider whether stormwater rules should apply to disturbances under one acre in certain permit contexts.
The West Newbury Planning Board on April 7 was told Horsley Witten’s redline of the town’s stormwater regulations is nearly finished and should be delivered to the stormwater working group within a week.
Paul Sevigny, a member of the town’s stormwater working group, told the board that Horsley Witten has been working with the town for about two to three years and that the redline is intended to align the town’s stormwater regulations with the stormwater bylaw adopted last spring. “That redline document of the stormwater regulations is pretty close to being finished,” Sevigny said.
Board members said the redline will be the first step in a broader, multi-part process to make bylaw and regulation language consistent across zoning, subdivision regulations and planning board rules. Ray, a long-serving board member, pointed the group to Horsley Witten’s tables in the packet that identify where stormwater language appears across chapters and how the proposed edits relate to zoning and subdivision provisions.
A substantive policy question came up about whether the town should require compliance with the stormwater bylaw when a land disturbance is under one acre but tied to other permit types, such as a common driveway or special permit. Sevigny said the working group has discussed “pros and cons” of different wordings after observing permit outcomes since the regulations were approved in June 2023, and that the redline reflects that discussion.
Board members agreed they prefer to review the redline first and submit questions in writing to the consultant, given the consultant’s limited budget and available time. Several members also suggested the town may need outside planning assistance to help implement the multiple text changes once the board establishes policy decisions.
The board did not adopt any formal motions on the matter on April 7. Next steps: the working group will circulate the redline to the Planning Board for review, and the board expects to discuss it at a future meeting and to schedule any required hearings ahead of fall town meeting for bylaw amendments.
