Weston Conservation Commission amends vernal pool definition; Select Board enacts wetlands regulations

WESTON — April 23, 2024 — Weston commission amends vernal pool definition, clearing path for new wetlands regulations. The Conservation Commission voted 6-0 on April 23 to strike language from Section 2.6 of regulations promulgated March 26 that had excluded vernal pools located in lawns, gardens or driveways from being defined as vernal pools at all. Conservation Administrator Jordan said former chair Laurie Bent, now on the Select Board, raised the concern; existing exemptions in the bylaw and Wetlands Protection Act still let residents mow, landscape and maintain driveways near such pools. "You should still define them as vernal pools so that a resident feels that they're important," Jordan said. KP Law's Connor Mullen advised on the procedural fix. The Select Board approved the amended regulations unanimously about 30 minutes later, putting them in effect after roughly a year of drafting.