Douglas Stormwater Panel Reviews Draft Rules, Plans Planning Board Handoff

DOUGLAS -- February 10, 2026, Douglas's Stormwater Bylaw Committee reviewed its draft stormwater regulations page by page at a February 10 meeting but took no vote on adoption, as the underlying bylaw must clear a second Attorney General review before the rules can take effect. The committee, whose members include Les Stephens, Laura Bacon, Jacob Schultzberg, Carol Gogolinski, Mike Schultzberg, and Colin Hare, agreed to several language changes: adding an "undue hardship" waiver criterion, inserting a "mutual agreement" clause governing outside consultant selection, deleting redundant engineering specifications from the plan-content section, and adding a new requirement that issued stormwater permits be recorded at the Registry of Deeds. The group also agreed to require 48 hours advance notice before routine inspections of private property, with a to-be-drafted emergency carve-out for public-health threats, language the committee flagged for review by Town Counsel. The draft will be shared with the Planning Board at the February 25 meeting; formal adoption remains contingent on a May 2026 Town Meeting vote and a subsequent 90-day AG approval window.