By Courtney Nguyen
Correspondent
May 07, 2008 03:29 am GEORGETOWN — After more than 45 minutes of heated debate, a citizen's petition to repeal the wetlands bylaws was soundly defeated at Monday's Town Meeting. Filed by Phil Cannon, the measure would have overturned the stringent bylaws first adopted in 1986. "Landowners' rights are not being respected and there is a lack of an appeals process for people who feel they can't improve their land because of the bylaws," said Cannon. "Our bylaws are at least double the restriction of the state regulations." Meredith Collins, of 123 Elm St., said she thinks the state guidelines are sufficient. Currently in litigation with the town over what she believes are unfair restrictions on residents, Collins said she is being denied the right to build a home for herself and her daughter on her own land — a project she says was deemed allowable just a few years ago. "My plan to build a house on my own land at 129 Elm St. is OK according to state regulations, but I have been denied by the Conservation Commission under the wetlands bylaws," said Collins. Conservation Commission Chairman Carl Shreder countered that his board approves 99.3 percent of all plans submitted, and that he is more than willing to work with people to get their plans completed according to regulations. "We need wetlands bylaws for ecological reasons. The wetlands clean and filter our water and improve flooding issues. The bylaw is vital to keeping Georgetown from overdevelopment," he said. Patricia Ratay, of 6 Brook Meadow Lane, said she and her husband specifically moved to Georgetown because of the stringent wetland building regulations. "The wetlands filter water," Ratay said. "Do you want something from a mile away just washing into your water supply? I don't want to see Georgetown take a step backward." What residents really have suggested, Planning Board member Harry LaCortiglia said, is not a problem with the entire bylaw, but with the specific regulations under the bylaw. "What people want, really, is to have an open hearing to discuss changing some regulations," he said. "I would urge everyone to vote 'no' on this issue." Other residents argued that repealing the bylaw would make Georgetown like Saugus or Everett, with overdevelopment; some said they wondered if allowing more building would help with affordable housing or just bring more large, unaffordable homes to town. In the end, the measure failed by a large majority.
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