Sherborn Board of Health approves multiple septic plan updates and variance for Presby Envirotech system

The Sherborn Board of Health on March 4 approved a series of septic-plan changes and variances that board members said would improve on-site treatment and clarify property restrictions.

Health Agent Mark Oram told the board that 13 Peckham Hill has a four-bedroom septic system and a current Title 5 passing inspection from June 9, 2023. Homeowner Joanna Ziomek asked to finish two basement spaces for an office and a playroom; because the rooms are more than 60% below grade, have small slider windows and only bulkhead access, staff recommended they be deed-recorded so the rooms do not count toward the house's room total. The board approved deed recording for the two basement rooms conditional on revised plans that label the L-shaped playroom, note window types and sizes, call out the bulkhead access, and clearly mark the structural beam. The vote was recorded 3 yes, 0 no, 1 abstention (Rebecca Hunnewell abstained).

Also approved was a ministerial plan update for 17 Everett Street to reflect an existing design for six bedrooms. Oram said the installed system provides the required linear feet and square footage for six bedrooms; the engineer must submit a corrected as-built and revise one clerical notation from 550 to 660 gallons per day. The board voted 4-0 to accept the plan amendment contingent on those technical corrections.

At a noticed variance hearing for 20 Nason Hill, applicant representative Oleg Tsybulski and designer Bruce Wilson presented a repair using an Innovative Alternative Presby Envirotech bed. Wilson said the new configuration moves the leaching field farther from the onsite well (about 133 feet compared with roughly 77 feet to the older pit) and allows more advanced treatment in a smaller footprint. The board granted two local variances: to allow a bed configuration in lieu of a trench (local §305-1.7) and to permit the bottom of the Presby bed to be 4.4 feet above seasonal high groundwater instead of the local 5-foot standard (local §305-1.8). Both variance motions passed 4-0. The board also required deed recordings for the IA technology restriction and for a garbage-grinder prohibition.

Separately, the board approved replacing a cesspool at 109 Nason Hill with a conventional four-bedroom system designed at 440 GPD; Oram said the redesign avoided prior waivers and still requires a deed recording prohibiting garbage grinders. That motion passed 4-0.

The Board also voted 4-0 to grant a Disposal Works Installer Permit to PJ Hayes Incorporated, conditioned on a preconstruction conference before work begins. Oram said the company had previously been permitted for soil testing and will perform abandonment work.

Board members and staff emphasized administrative next steps: corrected as-builts where required, receipt of deed recordings for properties granted restrictions, and staff follow-up to provide boilerplate deed language to applicants' attorneys. The board adjourned at 8:57 p.m.

Votes at a glance: - 13 Peckham Hill (deed recording to exempt two below-grade rooms): Approved 3 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain (Hunnewell abstained). - 17 Everett Street (plan update to reflect six bedrooms / 660 GPD): Approved 4-0 (condition: updated as-built and corrected notation). - 20 Nason Hill (Presby IA bed configuration variance §305-1.7): Approved 4-0. - 20 Nason Hill (variance to allow 4.4 ft to groundwater instead of 5 ft, §305-1.8): Approved 4-0. - 109 Nason Hill (replacement of cesspool with conventional 4-bedroom system, 440 GPD): Approved 4-0 (condition: deed recording for garbage-grinder prohibition). - PJ Hayes Incorporated (Disposal Works Installer Permit): Approved 4-0 (condition: preconstruction conference).

Next steps: applicants must provide corrected as-builts and submit deed recordings where required; Health Agent Oram will circulate the Board's standard deed-recording boilerplate to applicants' counsel.