Town of Sterling, MA - Conservation Commission

Public Hearing Notices

Description
02/09/2010 Board of Appeals - Special Permit Change In Use, Leominster Road
02/09/2010 Board of Appeals - Administrative Appeal: Storage yard, Worcester Road
02/09/2010 Board of Appeals - Special Permit for Kennel, Chace Hill Road
12/09/2009 Select Board/Assessors - Tax Classification
12/09/2009 Board of Appeals - Special Permit addition to home/deck, North Cove Rd

Conservation Commission

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Contact Type	Contact Information
Contact:	Conservation Agent
Address:	Butterick Municipal Building 1 Park Street Sterling, MA 01564
Phone:	978-422-8111 ext. 2321
Hours:	Office Hours Monday: 3:30 pm - 5:15 pm Wednesday: 11:30 am to 2:00 pm MEETINGS: 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm Room 209

Link to Page	Link to Page
Meeting Agendas	Meeting Minutes

Additional Links:

Link to Page	Link to Page
Frequently Asked Questions	MA Wetlands Act
MA Stormwater Handbook	Downloadable Forms

Conservation Commission Members

Name	Title	Term Expires
Joe Curtin		2009
Steven Hoffman	Associate	2009
Scott Michalak		2010
Michael Pineo	Vice Chair	2009
Barbara Roberti	Chair	2010
Alton Day Stone		2009
Susan Valentine		2011
Robert Schnare		2011

COMMISSION MISSION

Under the Wetlands Protection Act (Massachusetts General Law 131, Section 40), the Conservation Commission has jurisdiction over all of the wetlands in Sterling (including streams, lakes, reservoirs, ponds marshes and swamps) and all land within the 100 foot buffer zone adjacent to the waterways and wetlands. Under this law, the Conservation Commission is charged with protecting these natural resources to prevent pollution, protect drinking water, to improve flood control, to protect wildlife and to protect fisheries.

The Conservation Commission is made up of 7 members who are appointed by the Board of Selectmen. All meetings of the Conservation Commission are open to the public.

Some common proceedings before the Conservation Commission are:

REQUEST FOR DETERMINATION

This request leads to a determination of whether the Commission has jurisdiction and, if so, will the resource be affected. As a result of this action, the Commission may find any of the following:

1.	The Commission has jurisdiction and will require a Notice of Intent (see below.)
2.	The Commission will not require a Notice of Intent, but will impose Conditions.
3.	The Commission does not have jurisdiction.

NOTICE OF INTENT

This document requires a Public Hearing, with notification of all of the abutters to the property. It usually requires the preparation of plans by a Registered Professional Engineer. Once the Public Hearing is complete, the Commission will either:

1.	Issue an Order of conditions for the proposed work, or
2.	Deny the project for inability to adequately protect the resource

Commission decisions may be appealed to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection by the applicant, abutters or a group of citizens of the town.

An Order of Conditions is valid for a period of 3 years, and may be extended for up to 3 years.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

A Certificate of Compliance is a legal document indicating that an Order of Conditions has been satisfied or that no work has occurred. This Certificate may be required for a property to be transferred to a new owner.

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