Hamilton Conservation Commission Rejects Lakefront Compliance Certificate, Orders Amended Permit

HAMILTON — March 26, 2026 — Hamilton Conservation Commission rejects lakefront certificate of compliance, orders amended wetlands permit. The commission voted 5-0 Thursday to deny a certificate of compliance for a two-dwelling lakeside property at 138 and 140 Echo Cove Road and directed owner William Howe to file an amended order of conditions after finding that deck extensions, a repositioned staircase, and a partially in-buffer garage deviated from a 2021 permit without documented commission approval. Chair Nancy Baker cited conditions in the original order requiring plans to be "followed precisely" and said neither commission records nor those of conservation agent Bethany showed written authorization for any of the changes. Planning Coordinator Alicia Brennan, who spent roughly three to four hours reviewing the file before the meeting, calculated that deck extensions added approximately 106 square feet of coverage within the 25-foot no-disturb zone. Wetland scientist Katelyn White of Hancock Associates, representing Howe, argued the site remained stable with no shoreline disturbance, but the commission also found no ecological restoration plan — a requirement of the original waiver. The amended order of conditions will require Howe to submit impervious-cover calculations and an ecological restoration proposal before any certificate can issue.