Plympton Board of Health Asks ZBA to Pause Ricketts Groundwater Waivers Pending Review

PLYMPTON -- May 12, 2026, Plympton's Board of Health asked the Zoning Board of Appeals to pause groundwater-related waivers on the Ricketts development and adopted a formal potluck waiver policy at its May 12 meeting. The board voted unanimously to send an email to the ZBA Chair requesting that it "defer consideration of any waivers or determinations relating to groundwater protection, recharge area calculations, nitrogen loading, septic-wells separation, or other hydrogeologic matters" until after its consultant, Scott Horsley, reviews the applicant's May 5 revised submissions at the May 21 ZBA hearing, the last date for new substantive testimony before a regulatory cutoff. In a separate unanimous vote, the board adopted a potluck waiver policy developed with the assistance of Plymouth's public health director, Karen Keene, and directed it be forwarded to the Council on Aging. The board also received a noise complaint from a resident at 136 County Road citing a sawmill operation at 129 County Road and voted to coordinate with zoning and conservation authorities, noting the property had previously drawn action from the Conservation Commission and DEP for wetland clearing. The board closed the meeting with a farewell to longtime member Art, who made the final motion to adjourn.