New Group Seeks To Support Environmental, Planning Initiatives

CHATHAM – Under the town’s zoning bylaw, stormwater treatment systems aren’t allowed in conservancy districts. This never made sense to surveyor J. Thaddeus Eldredge, since septic systems, driveways and other structures are allowed in the districts, which are designed to protect the town’s wetlands.

The provision was ignored by zoning enforcement officials for years, but is now being enforced. Since stormwater systems enhance water quality by treating runoff before it can reach wetlands or groundwater, changing the bylaw makes sense to Eldredge.

To promote these and other changes they see as enhancing the environment and promoting “responsible development,” Eldredge and several other residents founded a new group, the Initiative for Managing Protections, Advocating Conservation and Tradition, or IMPACT Chatham. The group’s first project is bringing a bylaw amendment to the May annual town meeting to address the issue of stormwater systems in conservancy districts.

The group is also looking at possible changes related to setbacks, massing and aligning the zoning bylaw — which hasn’t been substantially revised for decades — with zoning rulings and opinions and conflicts with other town bylaws and regulations that have muddied interpretation of the rules over the years.

“We’re really supposed to look at things like what are the rules and how to follow them,” Eldredge said of the roles of surveyors, engineers and other professionals who work with the town’s zoning bylaw. Conflicts develop when interpretations change or long dormant rules are suddenly enforced.

The stormwater issue is a case in point. A project Eldredge was involved in the Little Beach area proposed a rain garden to help deal with stormwater in a location with little distance between the surface and groundwater. Both the conservation commission and planning board liked the plan, he said, but the zoning enforcement officer ruled that it was not allowed.

“You can put in gas lines, septic and other structures, but not stormwater,” Eldredge said. The change in interpretation is especially frustrating because the town itself has installed several stormwater treatment systems in conservancy districts, including a demonstration project on Absegami Run and an extensive stormwater system at Oyster Pond. There are many conservancy districts in town, both along the coast and inland, he pointed out, and that is likely to increase with sea level rise.

Eldredge ran the proposal by the energy and climate action committee and the planning board, both of which were supportive, he said. Because the planning board is engaged in finalizing zoning changes for the West Chatham Village Center, IMPACT will gather signatures and present the amendment as a citizen petition at the May town meeting.

Other initiatives IMPACT is considering include addressing conflicts between zoning and conservation rules regarding vernal pools and inland banks; update conservancy district and GIS maps; develop a database of the mass and number of bedrooms in buildings for planning and health purposes; and develop a map of low-lying areas where erosion may occur or salt marshes may develop in the future. A 3D visualization of Chatham Airport’s runway protection zones is in the works, as are schematics for redevelopment of the current center for active living site on Stony Hill Road.

Eldredge has developed numerous maps and overlays of the town as part of his work as a surveyor for his company East-Southeast, LLC, and he sees gathering data and analyzing maps as a way to help both town entities like the planning board, conservation commission and health department as well as local nonprofits like the Chatham Conservation Foundation. In working with town boards, he said, he’s seen many of the contradictions and conflicts in the various bylaws and regulations, such as different definitions of an inland bank in the wetlands regulations and zoning bylaw.

“It would be good to align one with the other,” he said. The town’s bylaws are generally good, he added but could use some cleaning up. “Nothing is perfect,” he said.

According to its website, www.impactchathamorg, the group is “dedicated to enhancing the well-being of the Chatham community by supporting initiatives that promote environmental conservation, community engagement, and responsible development. We strive to fund research, advocate for regulatory revisions, and provide guidance to residents, grassroots campaigns, and local organizations. Our goal is to empower Chatham's inhabitants with the knowledge and resources needed to create a sustainable and thriving town.”

The mission includes revising bylaws and regulations focused on “codifying the interpretations and policies perpetuated by the approving authorities,” providing support to citizen campaigns “based on alignment of those organizations with the goals of the organization,” including issuing grants, accepting donations and providing support such as web design and fundraising; funding research projects, technical reports, surveys and other studies that align with the group’s goals; and remaining politically neutral. “We will support the efforts of Chatham citizens but will not endorse any political view,” the website reads.

A Q&A provided by Eldredge notes that the group is neither pro development nor pro conservation. “We are in the middle,” the statement reads. “We seek to enable reasonable and appropriate development that keeps Chatham’s unique and charming community while bettering the environment.”

“We are pro-building correctly,” Eldredge added in an interview.

IMPACT Chatham has its 501(C)3 nonprofit designation and is assembling a board of directors. Current board members are Eldredge, who is president; James “Buck” Upson, a former conservation commission and zoning board of appeals member, is treasurer; Terry Eldredge is clerk; and Lynne Pleffner and Christopher Hercun were recently named board members.