Planning board to invite watershed consultant, weighs 300-foot buffer and fertilizer limits

Anne Ross Raymond, vice chair of the New Durham Planning Board, said the board will schedule a workshop on Aug. 18 with a watershed consultant to help the board develop shoreline protections.

The request followed a broader discussion about water-quality measures and possible ordinance language. "I would suggest... out to the 300 foot line," Anne Ross Raymond said when proposing a buffer and a prohibition on fertilizers near water bodies as a starting point for drafting language. Board members said they hoped the consultant could supply data on the relative contribution of grass clippings, leaves, fertilizers and pesticides so the board could build a "straw man" for ordinance text and public messaging.

Tim (rookie member) and Rudy Rosialz (board member) joined the discussion, noting practical alternatives such as mulching clippings and native plantings. A remote participant identified in the transcript as Angel Collector said the consultant recommendation came from Maureen and that the presenter is with FE Environmental Associates; the consultant’s last name is transcribed inconsistently in the minutes (appearing as both "Glennon" and "Bunyon" in different lines), which the board agreed staff should clarify with the consultant before posting the workshop agenda.

Board members discussed using existing guidance from state agencies and best-practices manuals (one speaker referenced "DES" materials) as background for ordinance language and agreed that fall outreach—when leaves contribute heavily to runoff—would be a strategic time for public messaging. Anne Ross Raymond suggested staff email the presenter ahead of the workshop to outline the board’s interest in contamination percentages and buffer options; members proposed a 45-minute presentation and Q&A slot.

Next steps: staff will invite the consultant to the Aug. 18 workshop, request technical guidance on contaminant percentages and buffer distances, and prepare a straw-man ordinance and outreach plan for board review.