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Staff says Lake Auburn watershed rules limit new homes to three a year; board hears acreage figures
Summary
City staff reported the watershed overlay allows up to three new dwellings per year; staff said two dwelling permits were approved recently (one built, one issued). A resident provided acreage figures: total watershed >11,000 acres, about 5,500 acres lie within Auburn.
Planning staff presented a brief Lake Auburn Watershed report required by ordinance: the overlay limits dwelling approvals to three per year for monitoring water quality, and over the past three years two dwelling permits have been approved (one constructed, one issued but not finished). Staff said it is their professional opinion that the small number of permits to date has not had an adverse impact on water quality and that additional expert presentations on turbidity monitoring will be scheduled.
Resident Stephen Boyle provided supplemental figures during public comment, stating the watershed encompasses more than 11,000 acres total and that about 5,500 acres lie within Auburn. Staff confirmed the watershed overlay and the ordinance’s annual dwelling cap; board members asked for maps and for the staff to return with water‑quality experts and more detailed acreage information. John Cleveland, chair of the comprehensive planning committee, said the committee will send the first draft of the comprehensive plan to the planning board on August 11.
