Douglas Stormwater Committee Nears Final Draft of Permit Regulations and Fee Schedule

DOUGLAS -- December 9, 2025, Douglas Stormwater Committee edges toward flat fee model for new land disturbance permits. Meeting December 9 with three of five members present, Jacob Schultzberg, Mike Schwicker, and Carol Gogolinsky, with Colin and Margaret Bacon excused, the committee spent most of its session debating whether to charge developers by impervious surface area, total disturbed acreage, or a flat rate. Planning consultant Les walked members through fee schedules from Upton ($1,500 land disturbance fee), Chelmsford ($200), and three other towns, finding little consistency across the region. Using a local commercial property at 120 GoBoa, measuring roughly 292,723 square feet of building and pavement, as a benchmark, members ran calculations showing a per-100-square-foot fee would yield about $2,900 on that site and $34,848 on an 80-acre commercial parcel, figures that prompted a pivot toward a flat fee of approximately $250. The committee also agreed to eliminate partial bond releases from its surety language, following a cautionary account from Wrentham where a reduced bond left the town holding $30,000 against a $90,000 road-completion cost.