WILTON – Planners granted Dennis Landry a permit last week to build a road near Wilson Lake, but one resident plans to contact the state about the construction.

Code Enforcement Officer Brenda Medcoff presented planners with a map delineating wetlands on property Landry recently bought next to his house lot. The new lot has frontage on Wilson Lake. Landry plans to build a road and eventually a house or other construction on the new lot.

Nancy Prince, a member of the Friends of Wilson Lake board of directors, told planners she thinks any activity in the area will cause silts and pollutants to be carried into the lake and hurt the water quality. She said the area is full of wildlife that will also be affected.

Landry said he will put up a silt screen around the wetlands to protect it during construction of the road.

Medcoff told planners several residents wrote letters with a variety of concerns about the project and one asked Town Manager Peter Nielsen to look into the town’s Comprehensive Plan. The property is zoned commercial, but Landry plans to ask voters to change the zoning to residential at their annual town meeting this summer.

Medcoff said she contacted the Maine Municipal Association for advice and was told the Comprehensive Plan can be used as a reference but should not be used to make a final determination. She said MMA told her it could leave the town open to liability and an appeal if they did not follow the requirements of their town ordinances.

Medcoff told planners there is nothing in the town’s ordinances that prevents Landry from building the road. However she strongly suggested they put conditions on the permit.

Planners agreed that Landry must follow best management practices, use erosion control measures before, during, and after construction, and obtain any necessary federal and state permits.

Landry already received a permit-by-rule from the Department of Environmental Protection for a stream crossing in order to put in a culvert. He said he is not required to get any other permits because he will not be altering the wetlands.

Medcoff said if the DEP had any concerns they would not have granted the permit-by-rule.

“I think we as a town need to protect our lake more than DEP needs to,” Prince said. She said she plans to contact DEP to discuss her concerns.

Medcoff said she and DEP will monitor the project. She also said she will check with DEP to determine whether Landry must meet any other requirements through them.