Review Program & Application

The policies and performance standards of the MSCWMO Watershed Management Plan (WMP) are found in Section 5 of the WMP. These policies and performance standards apply whenever a variance or building permit is required.

Member communities will refer projects undertaking the following activities to MSCWMO for full review and will not grant variances or building permits until this review has occurred. All projects regardless of whether public or private can be reviewed.

1. Any project undertaking grading, filling, or other land alteration activities which involve movement of earth or removal of vegetation on greater than 10,000 square feet of land.
2. All major subdivisions. Major subdivisions are defined as subdivisions with 4 or more lots.
3. Any project with wetland impacts and any project with grading within the wetland/public water buffer or within 40-feet of the bluff line.
4. Redevelopment on a site of 5 acres or more, where pervious surface is disturbed and final impervious surface, in aggregate, exceeds 1-acre or 5% of a site, which causes a change in runoff characteristics or removal of vegetation.
5. Development projects that impact 2 or more of the member communities.

Projects qualifying for full review shall be submitted to the MSCWMO administrator by the member community at least 21 days prior to the scheduled meeting date of the MSCWMO (regular meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month). Member communities can require applicants to submit projects directly to the MSCWMO. Late submittals or submittals with incomplete exhibits will be scheduled to a subsequent meeting date. Comments will be returned to the member community within 60 days of receipt. Member communities have the option of requiring MSCWMO review comments as a part of a complete permit or variance application, or communities can include a condition in these applications requiring review and approval by the MSCWMO.

The MSCWMO will submit an invoice for the current review fee of $250.00 to the appropriate member community as each full review is completed. The member community is responsible for collecting the fee from the applicant and reimbursing the MSCWMO. The fee will be reviewed and set by the MSCWMO on an annual basis. Applicants of major subdivisions (subdivisions with four or more lots) will be charged an additional fee equal to the actual costs of field inspection of the work, including investigation of the area affected by the work, analysis of the work, services of a consultant including engineering and legal consultants, and any subsequent monitoring of the work.

Variances from the performance standards of the MSCWMO may be granted on a case-by-case basis. See Section 6.2.5 of the Watershed Management Plan for details.