To preserve and protect the streams and other watercourses in the Town of Medfield and their adjoining lands.

To protect the health and safety of persons and property against the hazards of flooding and contamination.

To preserve and maintain the groundwater table for water supply purposes.

To protect the community against the detrimental use and development of lands adjoining such watercourses.

To conserve the watershed areas of the Town of Medfield for the health, safety and welfare of the public.

The Watershed Protection District is superimposed over any other district established by this Bylaw. The Watershed Protection District is defined as all land area along the streams and brooks for a horizontal distance of at least 25 feet from the normal high water line and from adjacent low, marshy areas. The names of the brooks included within the district are as follows: Great Pond Brook, Mill Brook, North Brook, Saw Mill Brook, Sewall Brook, Nantasket Brook, Turtle Brook, Vine Brook, Winter Brook, Brooks "A" through "J," inclusive, and all other brooks in the Town of Medfield.

The Watershed Protection District shall include all land that lies within a horizontal distance of 25 feet from the normal high water line of the following major water bodies: Baker's Pond, Cemetery Pond, Chickering Lake, Danielson Pond, Echo Lake, Flynn's Pond, Hinkley Pond, Holt's Pond, Jewell's Pond, June Pond, Kingsbury Pond, Little Chickering Lake, Notch Pond, Parker's Pond, and all other ponds that are in the Town of Medfield.

Land in the Watershed Protection District may be used for any purpose otherwise permitted in the underlying district except that:

Dams and water control devices.

Maintenance of municipal facilities, such as waterworks, pumping stations, existing public ways and parks, shall not be subject to a special permit under this Article.

Any person desiring a special permit for any use set out in § 300-11.3A above within the Watershed Protection District shall submit an application to the Board of Appeals, in accordance with the provisions of MGL c. 40A, as amended. The application shall be accompanied by plans of any construction and of the premises on which it is to be situated. All plans shall show existing and proposed finished ground contours at two-foot intervals. Contours shall be delineated within 200 feet of the proposed construction.

Copies of the application for special permit to the Board of Appeals with accompanying plans shall also be sent to the Building Inspector, Board of Health, Conservation Commission and Planning Board for their recommendations to the Board of Appeals, as to their approval, disapproval or appropriate recommendations.

All such plans shall be certified by a registered land surveyor or a registered professional civil engineer.

Prior to submitting an application for special permit, the applicant shall have obtained an order of conditions or determination of nonapplicability, as appropriate, from the Medfield Conservation Commission; a copy of the Commission's decision shall be included with the application.

The Board of Appeals, after holding a public hearing, shall issue a special permit under this Article only if it finds that the use of the premises will not endanger the health or safety of the occupants thereof or of other land in the Watershed Protection District. In deciding upon applications for a special permit under this Article, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board of Appeals shall find affirmatively:

No building permit shall be issued until the Board of Health has issued a permit under this Article approving the proposed sanitary and storm drainage system or has allowed 45 days to elapse after receipt of the application.

No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the Board of Appeals, the Building Inspector, the Board of Health, the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board have received a certified plan showing the foundation and floor elevations, grading of the premises, elevations of the completed structure and all elevations, of the various elements that make up the sewage disposal system, and it is determined by each board and the Building Inspector that all requirements of all permits are satisfied or 45 days have elapsed after the receipt of such plan by the Building Inspector and each board and notification of the Building Inspector and each board by the applicant for the completion of the work.

In consideration of any of the items under this § 300-11.5, Issuance of special permits, the Board of Health and the Board of Appeals shall consider the minimum groundwater level in the Watershed Protection District to be two feet below the natural elevations of the ground at the location of the proposed construction, unless data indicate a higher ground water level.