By Susan MacEachron

The Inlands Wetlands Agency held a public hearing on March 7 to address the aspects of the Maple Avenue reconstruction proposal that involve correcting drainage issues.

Roy Seelye. representing Cardinal Engineering, presented plans to improve the existing drainage, including increasing the size of the pipes along Pettibone Lane and providing two drainage culverts instead of the one that exists today.  Newly installed curb stones along Maple Avenue will help to channel the rainwater to cache basins.

The system is being designed to handle a 10-year storm, which Seelye explained is defined as five inches of rain in a 24-hour period and means there is a 10 percent chance each year of a storm of that magnitude occurring.

Several homeowners impacted by the proposed plans attended the meeting, and Seelye addressed their questions. Wetlands determined that the proposed work would have an insignificant impact on wetlands and approved the project.