Plympton ZBA Signals Support for 40B Earth Removal and Septic Waivers at Rickards Pond

PLYMPTON -- May 27, 2026, Plympton Zoning Board signals it will grant key 40B waivers for 60-unit Rickards Pond development, with final vote set for May 28. The board spent nearly three hours at its May 27 session working through waiver requests for the RPP LLC Chapter 40B comprehensive permit application, reaching a working consensus, without a formal vote, to allow an earth removal waiver covering approximately 40,000 cubic yards of material, subject to conditions including a 50-truckload-per-day limit, a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. operating window, no use of local Plympton roads, and mandatory transportation logs. The board also signaled support for waiving Plympton's prohibition on alternative/innovative septic systems, with proposed conditions requiring backup generators at each unit, HOA-level enforcement, annual third-party inspections, and Board of Health reporting. Town Counsel Carolyn Murray of KP Law noted the earth removal in this context "isn't about a commercial enterprise, this is about building housing" and that Plympton's bylaw does not authorize tipping fees in a 40B setting. The earth removal issue is entangled in active Plymouth County Superior Court litigation over alleged prior unpermitted activity on the site; whatever the ZBA grants will govern work going forward but will not resolve past claims.