Littleton Conservation Commission Splits on Leash Law, Approves Septic Permit

LITTLETON -- February 6, 2024, Littleton Conservation Commission approved a leash-at-all-times requirement for Cloverdale conservation land but rejected similar rules for three other town properties at its February 6 meeting. The commission voted 5-1 to recommend to the Select Board that dogs be leashed on the Cloverdale property, where an ADA-accessible trail is under development, with member Ed Fultz casting the lone dissenting vote. A companion motion covering Bumblebee, Oak Hill, and the Sanderson Esker failed 2-4, with member Chase Kirby arguing the rule would only affect already-compliant owners: "A law keeps honest people honest and does not stop the comments." The commission also unanimously approved an order of conditions for a geomat septic replacement at 219 Tahadahuan Road, adding conditions for tree-drip-line protection fencing, designated stockpile areas, and removal of impacted soil from the failed system. A continued public hearing on the town's Wickham Avenue water supply connection, involving the removal of 58 trees from a wetland buffer zone, was pushed to February 20, with the applicant asked to propose supplemental tree plantings at the Whitcomb treatment plant to reach a one-to-one replacement ratio.