Commission recommends permit to reroute cemetery road to avoid town well radius

The Farmington Conservation Commission on Jan. 8 recommended approval of a Special Use Permit requested by the Farmington Cemetery Association to reroute a section of an existing access road so the cemetery would retain access while avoiding a 400-foot town well radius.

Don Fuller, president of the Farmington Cemetery Association, said the Town plans to place a well on land adjacent to the cemetery and ‘‘where the 400-foot radius for the well is they have a road that actually goes through there so they're going to lose access to this so they're trying to skirt around their 400-foot radius and in order to do that they encroach on a tiny bit of wetlands from the Town. We're trying to appease them to give them the well,’’ he said.

Wetland consultant Gabriel Winant of Stoney Ridge Environmental described the proposed alignment as moving the road in a semi-circular route around the well radius, impacting the outer edge of a forested wetland finger on the southern portion of the property. To minimize impacts, Winant said the project would install a retaining wall to avoid shoulder grading and would place a wildlife exclusionary barrier along the construction area; the applicants have begun coordination with NH Fish & Game.

Commissioners asked for clarification about proximity to the Cocheco River and the Mad River tributary; consultants explained the site is on the Route 11 side of the parcel and sits at the outer edge of the quarter-mile Cocheco River buffer. After discussion the commission voted to recommend approval of the special-use permit for the cemetery access road (motion by Tyler Stephens, seconded by Jim Pollard); the motion passed 7-0.

The commission said it would forward its recommendation to the Planning Office; the applicants and consultants said state permit applications will follow as required.