The meeting commenced with Kathleen O’Donnell, chair of the Board of Appeals, opening a hearing on application number 2884. The applicants, Philip Johanning and John Row, sought to enforce a special permit granted to a nursery on February 24, 2025, which required a drainage report by July 1, 2025. The applicants attributed flooding on their property to stormwater overflow from the nursery and questioned the actions of the former acting building commissioner, Walter White. Johanning emphasized the compliance issues with the nursery’s drainage plan, noting that their property had never experienced basement flooding before, attributing recent issues to water entering through windows rather than structural failures.

John Row added visual aids to explain how the nursery’s water bypassed a berm and flooded their yard. Technical difficulties arose during the presentation, but Row stressed the importance of visual evidence to support their claims about the nursery’s non-compliance with drainage requirements.

The discussion expanded as another resident detailed significant flooding on their property, presenting photographs showing water accumulation as deep as six inches. The resident highlighted damages and repeated incidents in January and July 2024. An engineer, Mike Juliano, corroborated the resident’s concerns, noting changes in drainage patterns since 2015 and recommending extending the berm to mitigate flooding.

Tensions flared when building commissioner Walter intervened, expressing frustration over challenges to his previous decisions instead of focusing purely on flooding issues. The chair maintained order, allowing the resident and their engineer to finish their presentation.

Further debate ensued when another resident questioned the building inspector’s decision regarding runoff from the nursery. They criticized the inspector for not conducting a thorough investigation, alleging that the decision was made without adequate evidence or site visits. The resident urged the board to reject the inspector’s decision, calling it arbitrary and negligent, and requested a comprehensive investigation into the flooding.

The meeting saw contributions from Mr. Janning, who urged the board to return the matter to the building inspector for a thorough fact review. He suggested that engaging engineers from both parties could identify the flooding source and develop solutions. Janning emphasized the potential cost-effectiveness of addressing the issue collaboratively rather than pursuing legal action.

Historical context emerged as Rick Curtis shared his experience with flooding issues in the area, attributing them to soil composition and local springs. He advocated for effective solutions given the longstanding nature of these problems.

Nursery owner Josh Oldfield expressed concerns about altering the drainage system amid ongoing legal matters, highlighting compliance with existing mandates. Phil Henning urged all parties to seek collaborative resolutions instead of further disputes.

The meeting concluded with a resolution to remand the issue back to the building inspectors for further investigation. The board highlighted the importance of understanding water sources contributing to flooding, whether from adjacent properties or groundwater. They expressed hope for constructive dialogue between engineers, considering the broader implications of groundwater versus stormwater challenges in the area.