Seabright Farms Hearing Examiner Hears and Examines Tomorrow/November 6

It's going to be down in Bellingham and there will certainly be a contingent of local people (mostly from the Conservation Society, I'd guess) who will be hoping that the outcome leans toward the conservation side rather than the development side.

I was surprised to hear that the project is proposing a full 62-lot project, because it appeared that providing septic systems for that many houses would be problematic.  But perhaps they have a solution that the Hearing Examiner (HE) will be able to live with.

Most people here, I think, are primarily concerned about the preservation of the tree canopy.  There is talk of a conservation easement on the APA side of the property that would preserve the maples, but perhaps not the smaller trees and brush behind them.  Although there is also talk of the developers being willing to plant new conifers in the space where the smaller trees will be removed.

Nevertheless, there is a big area at the northeast corner of the property, alongside APA, where the developer's maps show drainfields for septic.  It appears from the map that all that area will be cleared to within 20 feet of the road.  That would destroy most or all of the canopy along almost half of the development's frontage on APA.

We've marked the developer's map to show the drainfields in blue, backyard areas subject to clearing by the new property owners in green, and in red, a 125- foot conservation easement that could prevent tree and habitat destruction within its boundaries.

It's never been clear to me how much local desires are to be taken into account when dealing with private property.  This is a country that gives great reverence to doing what you want on private property as long as you meet whatever regulation exists and those on the property consent.  (Well, not so big on private property when it's peoples' bodies, maybe.)  So, sometime after tomorrow we'll see where we are.  But I do hope that the houses that may be built there will be safely out of view of those who drive by under the canopy and that the overarching, continuous maple canopy will be preserved for all of us, including people who move into the development.  They would surely not want to see its loss, any more than those of already living here want to see it.