51 Lake Attitash Rd - Notice of Intent

What is proposed

The applicant proposes to install a seasonal, removable aluminum dock at the shoreline serving 51 Lake Attitash Road. The dock is described as a non‑floating structure supported on aluminum posts rather than a floating platform.

The dock layout includes five 4' x 8' sections (reported as 40 feet in length) and an additional 4' x 8' side "patio" section at the outer end. Components called out in the plan include 10" x 10" foot plates and two wheels to assist with installation and removal. When not installed for the season, the dock will be stored on the applicant's property.

Where and how big

The project site is 51 Lake Attitash Road (Assessors Map 59, Parcel 56) in Amesbury, Massachusetts. The dock’s linear extent is reported as 40 feet (five 4' x 8' sections) with a single 4' x 8' side platform. The plan indicates the dock is installed from the shoreline into Lake Attitash and is set on vertical aluminum posts rather than floating on the water.

Dock design, materials and access

Materials and components identified in the submitted plan are aluminum decking/sections and aluminum support posts with 10" x 10" foot plates; the design includes two wheels to help move the structure. The proposal describes the dock as removable and not permanently fixed as a floating system.

Access to the shoreline for installation and removal is via a deeded 10‑foot‑wide right‑of‑way. The plan does not propose new permanent access ways or changes to public roads; the dock will be stored on the property when removed from the water.

Installation timing and storage

The applicant proposes a seasonal schedule for the dock: installation in spring and removal in fall. The Conservation Commission’s recorded conditions require that the dock be installed no earlier than April 15 and removed no later than October 31 each year. When removed for the offseason the dock must be stored on the property at 51 Lake Attitash Road.

Environmental and regulatory conditions

The dock project was reviewed under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act process and was subject to a final Order of Conditions (the wetlands permit that sets the terms for work near jurisdictional wetland resources). A Certificate of Compliance (WPA Form 8B) was issued by the Amesbury Conservation Commission under DEP File No. 002‑1333, indicating the work regulated by that Order of Conditions has been satisfactorily completed.

The Certificate includes perpetual conditions that remain in effect in perpetuity. Key ongoing conditions include: maintaining pre‑development water quality (no sedimentation into resource areas), limiting fertilizer to products with less than 5% nitrogen and slow‑release formulations, prohibiting herbicide/pesticide use within 100 feet of jurisdictional resource areas, and complying with the seasonal installation/removal dates noted above. These conditions are recorded with the Certificate and apply to the property and future owners.

(An "Order of Conditions" is the formal wetlands permit issued by the Conservation Commission under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act; the Certificate of Compliance confirms the permit conditions have been met and records ongoing requirements.)

Status and next steps

The Amesbury Conservation Commission issued the Certificate of Compliance on October 7, 2024 (DEP File No. 002‑1333), and the certificate was recorded at the Essex South Registry of Deeds. That action indicates the project as permitted has been completed consistent with the Order of Conditions and that the perpetual conditions remain in effect.

If changes are proposed in the future — for example, a different dock design, a change in location, different materials, or a change to the installation/removal schedule beyond what the recorded Order allows — the property owner would need to submit an amendment or a new Notice of Intent to the Conservation Commission for review.