Plymouth Board of Health Denies BJ's Grease Trap Variance, Approves Four Septic Plans

PLYMOUTH — September 17, 2025 — Plymouth Board of Health denies BJ's Wholesale Club grease trap variance and approves four septic system plans. The board voted unanimously September 17 to require BJ's to upgrade from a 1,000-gallon to a 2,000-gallon exterior grease trap and connect bakery dishwashers to the system, following a recommendation from the town's Fats, Oils, and Grease inspection team after a June 23 site visit. Gillis Family Insurance, whose owners cited an active construction site and a spring beneath their building as barriers to compliance, had their case tabled to the October 22 meeting after Chair Miranda Pizarro said the board wanted to see "a plan of action." Sweet Dog received a variance contingent on monthly grease log submissions and a one-year reassessment. Septic variances were approved unanimously for properties at 25 Center Hill Road, 39 Cliffside Road, 79 Knotty Pine Road, and 239 Manomet Point Road, the last with a three-bedroom deed restriction attached. Plymouth County Cooperative Extension specialist Blake told the board that 2025 has seen the most tick-borne disease cases since before COVID-19, calling Plymouth and surrounding communities a "babesiosis hot spot" and describing the deer tick's required 82 percent humidity threshold as the key factor behind this year's elevated activity.