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.