The Conservation Commission met on March 26 to discuss some concerns over the current application review process.
“I believe we have a problem with the system regarding review of applications such as design review, wetland permits, and conditional use permits,” said Conservation Chair, Marge Badois. “A couple of meetings ago we had the warehouse project where they were looking for a conditional use permit, and we were confused why they were asking for this if they were getting a wetland permit.”
The Chair wanted to know how any applicant could get a wetland permit without the Conservation Commission getting a chance to look through it for comments. Only with some help from Town Manager, Mike Malagutti, was Badois able to find out more.
“That wetland permit was dropped off at the Town Clerk on November 20, and I looked through all my emails, I looked through all of our agendas and minutes, and we never reviewed that wetland permit. It never made it to us,” she explained. “When I look it up in the policy, it says ‘The Planning Board shall refer the application to the Conservation Commission to review prior to a public hearing.’ That kind of got dropped.”
According to the law, the Conservation Commission has 20 days to review an application and to send comments to the NH Department of Environmental Services. That opportunity is lost when an application is lost or even delayed when the Commission is not informed soon enough.
Badois called for a new set of procedures like a “checklist” to ensure Conservation always gets the opportunity to review applications. Nobody could say how many permit requests went unseen.
“Anything that submitted is given to me, so maybe I’ve been messing up,” said Mike Bazegian, GIS Manager/Comprehensive Planner. “I’ve been bringing the application to you as the projects come up on the agenda. Maybe I’ve misunderstood when I’m supposed to be giving you these things, I’ve still got a couple more on my desk.”
Members also called for a streamlined process for better digital applications so they could get relevant information before a presentation.
“When in doubt, call it in,” Alternate Commissioner, Mike Speltz, said. He hoped to avoid any more confusion from town officials. “If you see something that’s coming across your desk that the Commission might have an interest in, you may or may not be right, but let the Chair have the benefit of the doubt to advise on that.”
Badois noted that the Conservation Commission currently has two open spots, and they called for volunteers with a background in environmental work with the government. They wanted Londonderry residents with an interest in the outdoors, and Commissioners wanted to make sure any interested applicants came to at least one meeting beforehand to see how things are run.
“It would be nice to have some next-generation members to fill our shoes,” said Badois.