Groton Open Space Association

Wetlands Agency To Pursue Regulation Change To Allow Hiring Of Experts

GROTON–The Inland Wetlands Agency decided at a meeting Dec. 14, 2005, to pursue regulation changes that would allow the agency to hire experts to evaluate development proposals and bill the experts’ fees to the developers making those proposals.

Any such change would require a public hearing. The IWA decided also to study whether and how much to increase fees payable by developers for filing applications requiring IWA review, independent of whether experts are required.

The Groton Office of Planning and Development Services is understood to be at work on a proposed ordinance that would increase fees generally to account for costs involved in evaluating developers’ plans. Whether such an ordinance would operate in tandem with, or replace, the IWA’s regulation changes wasn’t immediately clear.

Many communities in Connecticut, including Old Saybrook, are empowered to bill experts’ fees to developers.