Lawrence, MA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Stormwater management permit from board of health
- Trigger
- Land disturbance over 1 acre, or 5,000 sq ft
- Review timeline
- 60 days for a complete application
- Erosion standards
- Mass. Stormwater Handbook Standards 2, 4, 8, 9
- Fee-in-lieu
- Allowed when on-site controls are impractical
- Appeal path
- Superior Court within 60 days, M.G.L. c.249 §4
Summary
Any construction project in Lawrence that disturbs more than one acre, or 5,000 square feet in higher-pollutant or combined-sewer areas, must get a stormwater management permit from the board of health before breaking ground. Erosion and sediment control on site must follow Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook Standards 2, 4, 8, and 9 under City Code Chapter 20.03.
Unless exempt under section 20.03.050 below, all activities under the jurisdiction of this chapter shall be required to obtain a stormwater management permit from the board of health prior to beginning any site work. ... Criteria for erosion and sediment control and post-construction stormwater management, including stormwater performance standards, shall be in accordance with standards 2, 4, 8, and 9 of the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook and any supplemental requirements as may be contained in the stormwater regulations under section 20.03.070 of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
03, adopted by Doc. 239/2014, effective March 17, 2015) requires a stormwater management permit from the board of health, acting as the city's stormwater authority, before any covered site work begins. The permit reaches any subdivision needing a definitive plan under the Subdivision Control Law and Title 16 of the Municipal Code, any land disturbance over one acre, smaller disturbances that are part of a common development plan eventually exceeding one acre, disturbances over 5,000 square feet for higher-pollutant land uses under Standard 5 of the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook, and any disturbance over 5,000 square feet discharging to a combined sewer.
Even "Approval Not Required" lots meeting these tests still need a permit. 070. c. 40A, § 3, projects fully under a conservation commission order of conditions no less strict than this chapter, emergency municipal stormwater repairs, and routine maintenance of public ways. The board of health must act on a complete application within 60 days, may approve, deny, or condition a permit, may allow a fee-in-lieu payment to the water and sewer enterprise fund when on-site controls are impractical, and, after consulting the conservation commission and city engineer, may waive strict compliance in writing. c. 249, § 4.
Violations & Fines
The board of health enforces Chapter 20.03 directly, backed by civil and criminal remedies including injunctive relief, monetary damages, and litigation costs under Section 20.03.120. It may instead use the noncriminal disposition process under M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. Agents may enter a site to check compliance with an issued permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a house in Lawrence with erosion controls?
How long does Lawrence have to review a stormwater management permit?
What standards govern erosion and sediment control on a Lawrence job site?
Can I pay a fee instead of building an on-site erosion control system?
Sources & Official References
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