Purpose; scope.
A. The Town of Wrentham is a watershed area. The freshwater and aquifer resources of the Town must be protected and safeguarded from uses which may cause flooding, pollution, or excessive demand or which may limit the recharging of aquifers.
Therefore, the Town has established a Watershed Protection District, W. which overlies all other zoning districts. This district includes the wetland areas which have been mapped and indexed by the Department of Environmental Management, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (December 1977), or as amended. Compliance with orders and regulations of the Department of Environmental Management, the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering, or the Conservation Commission of the Town of Wrentham does not relieve any person from compliance with this article.
B. The district includes the following lands and waters:
(1) All lakes, ponds, streams, brooks, rills, marshes, swamps, bogs, aquifers, and other natural water bodies or watercourses within the Town of Wrentham, as shown on the Department of Environmental Management maps and index (1977) or the Wetland Protection Map of the Town of Wrentham; and
(2) All land within a 100-foot horizontal distance from the average annual high water mark of the water bodies and watercourses listed in Subsection B(1).
Permitted uses.
The following uses are permitted within the Watershed Protection District, provided that these do not violate the use regulations of these Zoning Bylaws; ordinances, bylaws, or regulations of the Town of Wrentham; or laws or regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
A. Conservation of lakes, ponds, streams, brooks, rills, marshes, swamps, bogs, other natural water bodies or watercourses, land soil, trees, shrubs, plants, water supply, and wildlife; and
B. Outdoor recreation which is not harmful to the physical environment and which is lawfully permitted; and
C. Proper operation and maintenance of existing dams, flashboards, and other water control, supply, and conservation devices; and
D. Grazing, farming, gardening, nursery, conservation forestry, and harvesting; and
E. Use of land within the Watershed Protection District to meet area and yard regulations for the zoning district in which the lot is situated, provided that no less than 30,000 square feet of lot area is outside the Watershed Protection District in all except the R-30 District, where no less than 22,500 square feet of lot area is outside the Watershed Protection District.
Special permits.
A. A
special permit to use land and waters in a manner which is not permitted in § 390-5.2 may be sought by application to the Planning Board. The Planning Board may require the applicant to submit a site plan and environmental assessment so that it may give reasoned consideration to the application. The site plan and environmental assessment shall meet the requirements of Articles VII and VIII.
B. The Planning Board shall grant a special permit for the proposed use if it finds that the use and any program of mitigation will not degrade the watershed area. The Planning Board may condition its approval in any reasonable fashion to assure compliance with the purposes of this article.
