Now that the town has approved the Wastewater Management District (WWMD) and the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has begun designing septic upgrades in the first area affected, Saybrook Acres, town leaders are asking how these changes could impact the town's planning.

What First Selectman Michael Pace wants to learn-before all of the 1,100 properties' septic upgrades are done-is how the changes could impact the neighborhood's public infrastructure-and he's asked the town's Land Use Department and the town attorney to help him define the scope of the issue.

Take water supply, for example. When the older septic systems in the town's WWMD are upgraded to current standards-raising them to two feet above groundwater, for example-for the first time, some homeowners will be able to install and use washing machines. This option, in turn, could place new demands on the neighborhood's infrastructure. For instance, are the water mains serving these neighborhoods large enough to supply the increased water demand that could follow the septic upgrade project?

"I'm interested in looking at the infrastructure in the beach areas of the WWMD to determine the sustainable future," said Pace. For example, "as septic systems are raised two feet above groundwater, what about the neighborhoods' roads, drainage, and water supply? I want to make sure all of the geometrics work."

And once the beach area and waterfront neighborhoods' septic systems are rebuilt to code, should the restrictions of the town's decades-old Winterization Ordinance be re-examined?

"If you were a homeowner and went to the Zoning Board of Appeals, you couldn't winterize an existing [seasonal] structure, but you have been able to get approval to knock down and rebuild [on the same property]. Right now, we're reviewing the...list of seasonal properties to see which ones have already been knocked down or otherwise removed from the list," said Pace.

"We want to isolate the different issues associated with these properties and consider revising the ordinance if seasonal properties on the list can now install a code-compliant system," continued Pace. "I'm willing to open up the town's Winterization Ordinance for discussion."

The town's current Winterization rules, Ordinance 62, were adopted by the town in July 1999. For the 565 properties on the town's seasonal properties list, any proposed changes must meet all town zoning, health, and building rules in force at the time of application to the Land Use Department. (See "Winterization Ordinance: A History" on page .)

The winterization ordinance restricts the conversion of seasonal dwellings on the town list to lots of at least 12,500 square feet that meet all zoning rules including side and front yard setback distances. The rules as written provide no forum for appeal for relief from provisions restricting changes proposed to the existing dwelling.

Chris Costa, the town's zoning enforcement officer, said the Land Use Department staff is performing an extensive review of the files for all 565 properties on the list to determine the status of each parcel. Which ones were approved as a seasonal conversion earlier but the information was never recorded in the land records as required? On which parcels were new homes built?

The department's paperwork review will help town leaders define the scope of the many different circumstances of the lots that remain on the list. Following the data collection phase, the selectmen are expected to begin a discussion of whether-or how-the Winterization Ordinance should be amended.