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Residents and applicant raise water‑supply, farmland concerns over proposed zoning change
Summary
Public speakers and the applicant told the Planning & Zoning Commission that clustered open‑space communities could threaten private wells, the Groton Reservoir and local farmland; commissioners noted these concerns when finding the application incomplete.
Several speakers emphasized water‑supply and farmland protection as central considerations for any new zoning that would allow clustered housing and commercial mixes. Applicant Kevin Blacker told the commission he was "hoping that maybe somebody in the public" would suggest ways to protect farmland and water and said the issue "weighs heavy" on his mind because Groton is part of the regional water supply.
Frank Baravecchia and other residents described periods when the Groton Reservoir has been nearly depleted and said blasting or major excavation for large developments could threaten private wells. Baravecchia urged the commission to treat open space protection seriously and to avoid permitting development that could compromise groundwater. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the concerns, and staff noted the Conservation Commission had not recommended the applicant’s neighborhood‑buy‑in approach because of process and resource concerns. The issues shaped deliberations and factored into the commission’s finding the amendment was not ready for adoption.
