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Planning Board discusses water protections for Canaan Street Lake, favors ordinance approach over zoning
Summary
Board members discussed water-quality protections for Canaan Street Lake and expressed a preference for a dedicated water ordinance rather than zoning; topics included septic treatment for phosphorus and land-cover strategies such as preserving forested buffers and promoting permeable driveways.
Discussion at the Feb. 12 meeting turned to protecting water quality at Canaan Street Lake. Chair John Bergeron said a water ordinance would be a better approach than using zoning to address local water concerns. Board members discussed technical and land-management measures that could reduce phosphorus loading, including septic systems with necessary treatment, preserving forested buffers rather than converting to meadows, and encouraging permeable driveways instead of solid surfaces.
No vote or formal directive was taken; the exchange was a policy-level discussion and part of ongoing consideration of local water-protection options. The Short-Term Rental agenda item was skipped later in the meeting.
Why it matters: potential local measures to protect lake water quality could affect property maintenance and future regulation; the board signaled a preference for ordinance-based tools rather than zoning changes.
