Planning Board
Town of Princeton, MA Planning Board
Meeting Minutes
Joint Meeting with Conservation Commission
November 8, 2023
Town Hall Annex and GoToMeeting
Board Members present in-person: John Mirick and Alternate Members Corey Burnham-Howard and Larry DeBlois
Board Members, remote: Ann Neuburg
Board Members absent: Ian Catlow, Rud Mason, Tom Sullivan
Other Participation, in person: Conservation Commission Members Bonnie Hirsh, Brian Keevan, Holly Palmgren, Gerry Pellegrini, and Jennifer Vuona
Other Participation, remote: none
Call to order: 7:30 PM
FEMA Flood Plain Map
Brian provided an inter-active presentation of the new proposed FEMA Flood Plain Map, various overlays of the Mass GIS map, and the LiDAR map of the Town. It does not appear that there are currently any houses in Town that are in the FEMA flood plain, although there are several houses that are certainly on the very edge of the FEMA flood plain, and some driveways and access roads that appear to be in the FEMA flood plain. Brian’s presentation covered all the drainages in Princeton.
The areas that FEMA identifies as flood plains are similar, but not necessarily identical, to the areas identified as wetlands in the GIS map. Some of the differences may be explained by the age of the aerials used to prepare the maps.
Massachusetts has drafted a model flood plain by-law. Conceptually, the model by-law requires permits for construction in a flood plain. If the Town adopts the model by-law, or other regulations acceptable to FEMA, then residents will qualify for participation in the Flood Plain Insurance Program (“FPIP”) which is federally-subsidized flood insurance. In a conference call in September, the FEMA representative stated that his records showed only two houses in Princeton in the FPIP, presumably because the mortgage lenders required flood insurance.
At present, there is nothing to prohibit building in a flood plain if an owner complies with the Massachusetts wetlands laws and regulations. Conservation Commission members explained that construction in a wetland is not prohibited. They look to a project’s impact on the wetlands. Generally, if they are persuaded that the impact is not significant, and if a developer replicates any area that was filled, construction would probably be allowed.
Concerns were expressed that adopting the model by-law might encourage development in flood plains. There was discussion about possibly adopting a by-law that prohibited building in a flood
plain, rather than the Massachusetts model flood plain by-law that regulated building in a flood plain. A prohibition would be better for the environment than allowing regulated building. A prohibition would minimize the impact on first responders and the public generally if Princeton experiences further flood events such as occurred in September. It was the sense of the meeting that the Planning Board ought to explore this approach.
John will put this issue on the agenda for discussion by the Planning Board. When appropriate, the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board will hold another joint meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
John Mirick
Documents reviewed: Projections of proposed FEMA Flood Plain Map
Projection of Mass GIS map with various overlays
Projection of LiDAR map