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Board hears updates on 155 Maple Street soil testing and 1 Whitney Street preliminary building review
Summary
Health Agent Mark Oram said soil testing for 155 Maple Street was postponed and rescheduled for June 9; the Board discussed septic constraints and conditions for approving a building permit at 1 Whitney Street, including engineered setback confirmation and limiting further additions absent Board review.
Sherborn — The Board received updates on two property matters involving onsite wastewater and building alterations: rescheduled soil testing at 155 Maple Street and a preliminary building application for 1 Whitney Street.
Mark Oram reported that soil testing at 155 Maple Street was canceled when the backhoe operator could not attend; a new excavator was engaged and testing was rescheduled for June 9, 2026. The property sold in 2024 without a required Title 5 inspection; a later inspection found the system in failure and sitting in groundwater, triggering a two-year replacement timeline. Oram said the delay is about one week and that the owner is aware of the urgency; the Board will get an update at the next meeting.
On 1 Whitney Street, Oram explained the lot is served by a legacy septic arrangement — a septic tank preceding seepage pits — permitted prior to 1995 and evaluated under Title 5 as a conventional system with seepage pits. The most recent Title 5 inspection is roughly nine years old (passed under the earlier evaluation). Adding a bathroom does not trigger a flow-based upgrade requirement per MassDEP guidance cited by Oram, but the Board raised concerns about the adequacy of the older Title 5, potential need to remove and reconstruct a sunroom if foundation repairs require it, and the presence of a garbage disposal noted in the Title 5 report. The Board set conditions for approving the building permit as submitted: an engineered plan confirming adequate setback from the existing septic tank; prior Board review for any further room modifications beyond the proposed bathroom; and return to the Board if the sunroom must be removed and rebuilt.
The Board agreed these conditions would be communicated to the applicant and that Oram would request expedited action from the contracted engineering firm. The Board expects to review the 155 Maple Street soil test results and any follow-up at its next meeting.
