Raymond Voter Information Project

Article 4— Zoning Amendment 3

Groundwater Conservation District Revisions

Text of 2011 Town Warrant Article 4

The purpose of Raymond's existing Groundwater Conservation District zoning ordinance is "to preserve, maintain, and protect from contamination, existing and potential groundwater supply areas, and to protect surface waters that are fed by groundwater."¹ This amendment updates the 1992 and 1990 maps of Raymond's wellhead protection areas, high value present and future groundwater areas, and future high-production potential town water supply areas. The amendment also brings the Raymond ordinance closer to the most recent NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) model ordinance adding: new definitions; new thresholds for requiring a stormwater management plan (15% rather than 20% of impervious surface); and new Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans required for some conditionally permitted uses.

A YES vote accepts the updates to the ordinance and the new map. It also allows the Planning Board to make future map updates after a Public Hearing without waiting for the town to vote at the next election.

A NO vote leaves the old map and ordinance in place, and continues to require the Planning Board to put any map updates before the voters at both a Public Hearing and at the next town election.

Reasons why some voters might vote yes:

• At 9.3%, Raymond approaches the 10% threshold of impervious surface where water quality and habitat degradation accelerate.²
• Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Raymond’s surveyed citizens place a very high to high priority on protecting groundwater/drinking water supplies in Raymond.³
• Improved mapped accuracy of “Combined Aquifer, Surficial Geology and Wellhead Protection Areas.”⁴
• Recommended by Raymond’s Sourcewater Protection Plan (2010).⁵
• Cost and difficulty to remediate contaminated drinking water.

Reasons why some voters might vote no:

• The lower impervious surface threshold may require more developers to produce a stormwater management plan.
• A simpler approach to groundwater protection, which would remove the chance of aquifer boundary disputes and achieve a high degree of protection, would be to apply the Groundwater Conservation District ordinance to the entire town.⁶

References:

1. Raymond Zoning Ordinance (3.340.02) See also specific changes to Article III and IV at www.raymondnh.gov or at the Town Office or Dudley Tucker Library.
2. Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques (NH DES/OEP.10/2008; page 232) and Raymond Master Plan (page 230).
3. University of NH citizen survey (2007) for the Raymond Master Plan (2009).
4. Town of Raymond, NH Sourcewater Protection Plan (2010: page 24-5) An aquifer is generally defined as a soil that has sufficient permeability and water to readily yield a sustainable water supply.
5. Town of Raymond, NH Sourcewater Protection Plan (2010: page 24-5), prepared at the request of the Planning Board by Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, overseen by Raymond’s Technical Review Committee, adopted by the Planning Board.
6. Town of Raymond, NH Sourcewater Protection Plan (2010: page 30) Note: Protection beyond map boundaries may make the ordinance legally vulnerable to challenges.

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