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Board approves multiple waivers for 21 Goulding Street septic replacement
Summary
The Sherborn Board of Health approved several waivers to allow an innovative MicroFast GeoFlow septic system at 21 Goulding Street, accepting reduced vertical separations and setback variances and conditioning final plan approval on deed recordings.
At a May 20 hearing the Sherborn Board of Health granted multiple local waivers to allow replacement of a septic system at 21 Goulding Street and approved plans conditional on two deed recordings.
Engineer Eric Dickinson explained the house, built in 1968, had site constraints including high groundwater near the front yard and steep terrain to the side. He presented a MicroFast GeoFlow innovative/alternative system — an aerobic treatment tank with an external blower and a GeoFlow dosing/leach field — that the Massachusetts DEP allows to operate with reduced vertical separation to groundwater in remediation scenarios. Dickinson said the system preserves most yard landscaping and can be routed around trees.
The board approved a waiver to section 305-1.8(A) reducing the required separation above maximum high groundwater, a waiver to section 305-1.8(B) where groundwater was within five feet of natural soil, a waiver to section 305-1.10(A)(2) reducing the on-site well setback to 110.9 feet (from the local 150-foot requirement) because of site limits, and a waiver to section 305-1.1(B) to allow the soil absorption system 11 feet from the property line (local requirement 20 feet). All motions were approved 3-0.
Health Agent Mark Oram and the engineer explained that excavation would remove deteriorated soil from the old system and that the new design included a conventional backup location should the IA system fail. Mr. Oram said the approvals are conditional upon two deed recordings: one restricting garbage-grinder use and one documenting the innovative alternative technology on the property record.
What happens next: the owner must record the two deed restrictions; once recorded the plan approvals will be finalized and the system installation may proceed under usual permitting and inspection requirements.
