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Permit Filings

There are five main avenues by which an Applicant (i.e. citizen, contractor, developer) can appear before the Franklin Conservation Commission:

  1. The filing of an Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD);
  2. The filing of a Notice of Intent (NOI);
  3. The filing of a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA);
  4. The filing of a Minor Buffer Zone Activity (MBZA); and
  5. The filing of a written request to address the Commission.

Nine copies, two full sized sets of plans and seven reduced 11”x17” sets of plans, of all applications and requests to address the Commission are required.

Each application is outlined in more detail to the left. It must be understood that the ANRAD, NOI, and RDA permit applications are govern by the Massachusetts State Statute M.G.L. Ch. 131 § 40 and the regulations promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) pursuant to 310 CMR 10.00, as well as the locally regulated Franklin Wetlands Protection Bylaw (Chapter 181) and its corresponding regulations. The MBZA is governed by the locally regulated Bylaw and its corresponding Regulations only. Only the NOI, RDA, and MBZA applications can approve work within jurisdictional Wetland Resource Areas.

The length of time from the submission of an application to final action by the Commission varies significantly depending on the complexity of the application, the need for peer review, coordination with other land use bodies (e.g. Planning Board), and any comments from other review agencies (e.g. DEP). Additionally, all ANRAD, NOI, and RDA applications are public hearings and subsequently require a Legal Notice/Ad which is paid for by the Applicant, but placed by the Conservation Department.

The timeline for project submissions is as follows:

1) All complete applications/permits have to be opened by the Conservation Commission within 21 days of submission. 

2) Under Town Code Chapter 4 Section 4-15, all public hearings shall be advertised to abutters at least 10 days prior to the public hearing at the expense of the Applicant. 

3) Under the local Wetlands Bylaw (Chapter 181) and associated Regulations and Town Code, a legal ad and notice must circulate at least 10 days prior to a public hearing at the expense of the Applicant. The Conservation Department will facilitate the posting of the legal ad and notice.

The Commission will accept any new information for a filing up to a week prior to the public hearing. It is up to the Applicant to ensure that all the other corresponding deadlines are met. 

Submitting a written request to the Commission:
This occurs when a citizen wishes to address the Commission on a matter that does not require an aforementioned application. This request is not a public hearing. The "applicant" must either be the property owner or have sent a copy of the request via Certified Mail/Return Receipt to the property owner.