Littleton Board of Health Approves Beach Road Septic Variance, Defers Two Others

LITTLETON — February 22, 2023 — Littleton Board of Health defers contested lakeside septic variance, approves Beach Road system upgrade. At the February 22 board meeting, members voted unanimously to continue a public hearing for 107 Matawanakee Road — where engineer Ted Doucette of Doucette Engineering sought a variance to place a new septic leach field within 100 feet of a neighboring private well — to March 22, 2023, pending a town counsel opinion on whether denial would constitute an unlawful deprivation of all beneficial use of the vacant lot. Abutter Chris Crowback of 105 Matawanakee Road appeared in opposition, saying his family relies on the well for drinking water and that the plan failed to demonstrate the equivalent environmental protection that Title 5 variance standards require. District health agent Jim Griffey stated he could not recommend approving a new septic system for new construction within 100 feet of an existing private well, citing fast, sandy-gravel soils and nitrate-migration risk. In separate unanimous votes, the board approved a local upgrade approval for a raised Presby system at 8 Beach Road — reducing the required groundwater offset from four feet to two and a half feet — and granted a reduced pipe-to-water-table separation variance for a replacement system at 144 Harwood Avenue after the engineer produced a revised plan raising the tank elevations nearly five feet by rerouting the basement drain through the foundation wall at a higher point.