SALISBURY — The only citizens petition on Monday's Town Meeting Warrant seeks to repeal the town's wetlands bylaw.
Kevin Henderson of 61 Atlantic Ave. and 16 other registered voters filed the petition that appears as Article 22 in hopes of getting voters to repeal the town's wetlands protection bylaw, which was passed on Nov. 27, 1989. The bylaw relates to protection of Salisbury's barrier beach, flood plains, wetlands and aquifer areas.
But, town officials say, the petitioners are mistaken if they think rescinding the town's wetlands protection regulations would eliminate the Conservation Commission or its authority. And, in at least one case, rescinding the bylaw could bring more restrictive policies down on beach residents from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
According to Town Manager Neil Harrington, Salisbury's Conservation Commission is the local enforcement authority for the state of Massachusetts and the state's Wetlands Protection Act and Rivers Protection Act. Eliminating Salisbury's wetlands bylaw wouldn't dissolve the Conservation Commission, nor eliminate the authority given by the state to enforce conservation laws.
"Eliminating Salisbury's bylaw means that everything at the beach would have to conform to the state's standards," Harrington said. "In the case of paving at the beach, for example — which is a big bone of contention with some people at the beach — if Salisbury's bylaw is eliminated and the Conservation Commission's authority is effaced, paving issues at the beach would go straight to the DEP. And its standards on paving at the beach are more stringent than Salisbury's."
Harrington said there are some provisions Salisbury enforces that protect not only the wetlands, but the landscape of the town itself, as well as neighbors and neighborhoods.
"In our bylaw, there are provisions on issues such as the clear cutting of trees, which is not permitted," Harrington said. "If the bylaw were eliminated, the owner of a piece of property would be able to cut down every tree on it. I would not think that would be something the people in Salisbury would be thrilled about."
Town Meeting members will debate the issue as well as others on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the cafeteria of Salisbury Elementary School. A Special Town Meeting will take place at 7 p.m., also at the school, just before the annual Town Meeting.
Copies of warrants for both meetings are available at Town Hall and Salisbury Public Library. Copies are also posted on the town's Web site at www.salisburyma.gov.
