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Avon panel discusses expanding upland review area and adding vernal‑pool checklist item
Summary
IWC members discussed proposed amendments to the Town of Avon Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Regulations to expand certain upland review areas and to add a checklist requirement for applicants to identify vernal pools; staff said any change would require CT DEEP notice and a public hearing in Avon.
Commission members and staff debated proposed modifications to the Town of Avon Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Regulations (IWWR) on Dec. 2, 2025, focusing on the upland review area and checklist items for applicants. Chair Michael Feldman proposed amending Attachment 3 to require applicants to identify vernal pools on the property subject to an application.
Emily Kyle, Planning and Community Development Specialist and Wetlands Agent, told the commission that "any changes to the Town of Avon Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Regulations (“IWWR”) would have to be sent to the State of Connecticut DEEP and heard at a Town of Avon Public Hearing." A resident commenter, Jonathan Beck of 7 Irontree Court, asked whether residential roadways would now fall within the expanded 200‑foot upland review area; Kyle responded that disturbances such as roadways typically require permits and therefore would be covered by the expanded area.
The discussion identified two procedural steps if the commission pursues amendments: formal referral to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and scheduling a town public hearing. The commission did not vote on ordinance text or adopt a change at the Dec. 2 meeting; members discussed language for the checklist item and potential outreach to affected property owners.
If advanced, the change could increase the number of residential parcels requiring review when work occurs near wetlands, and staff advised the commission to expect the regulatory change to follow the state referral and a public hearing process.
