Planning Department Fails to Issue Cease and Desist

The Inland Wetlands Agency voted unanimously at their January 6 meeting to direct the Planning Department staff to issue a cease and desist order to Phil Armetta, who filled in wetlands on Newfield Street to provide more parking for a car dealership on his property. The commissioners said at the meeting that the primary reason for requesting the cease and desist order was to compel Armetta to appear before the Agency to complete a retroactive application for his wetland actions. According to regulations, a cease and desist order must be followed within 2 weeks by a "Show Cause" hearing, and the commissioners agreed to hold a special meeting about this issue tonight.

The Planning Department staff failed to issue the order to Armetta, and the special meeting for tonight has been canceled. Matt Dodge, Environmental Specialist in the office, told me that this was because Bruce Driska, the Inland Wetlands Enforcement Officer, was out of the office, "Bruce would have been the one to do it." However, Director of Planning Bill Warner said that others in the office, including himself, had authority to issue cease and desist orders. He said this was not an urgent matter and defended his staff, "There is no imminent harm to the environment, the damage has already been done ..."

Inland Wetlands Chair Joe Carta expressed frustration that not only was the Commission's request not carried out, but he was not even told that there was a delay until this week, "Why wasn't it done? Why wasn't the Commission told that it had not been done? It makes the Commission look bad."

Warner said that the notice would be issued today, and it will order Armetta to attend the next Inland Wetlands Agency meeting for a discussion.