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Conservation commission asks ZBA to require 25‑foot wetland buffer restoration for Lawrence property
Summary
The Francestown Conservation Commission told the Zoning Board of Adjustment that prior clear‑cutting and apparent buffer encroachment at Map 6 Lot 74‑6 mean any approval should require erosion controls, minimized disturbance, restoration and permanent maintenance of a 25‑foot native vegetative buffer, and verification before occupancy.
The Francestown Conservation Commission reviewed the Lawrence ZBA application (Map 6 Lot 74‑6) and recommended that any approval be conditioned to protect wetlands and buffers. Commissioners said clear‑cutting had previously reached the wetland boundary and that the proposed building location appears to infringe the wetland buffer in two locations.
The commission outlined requested conditions it would like the Zoning Board of Adjustment to impose if it approves the application: pre‑construction erosion control measures maintained until site stabilization; minimizing site disturbance and retaining existing vegetation where feasible; restoring a 25‑foot vegetative buffer of native species; permanently maintaining that buffer as naturally vegetated rather than lawn; and follow‑up verification by the town building inspector or a qualified natural‑resource professional before an occupancy permit is issued. "It appears that any suitable building location would have some wetland impacts," the commission noted during its review.
The commission also discussed the property’s conservation easement at the far end of the lot and described the parcel as a difficult shape that limits siting options. The commissioners did not vote on a motion recorded in these minutes; the record contains the commission’s requested conditions for the ZBA’s consideration.
