Conservation Commission considers Dudley Road area projects

The Conservation Commission on Feb. 11 continued, approved, and deferred multiple projects near Dudley Pond while also discussing Town Meeting articles and municipal pesticide policy.
Chair Sean Fair and the commission continued to March 4 the Notice of Intent for 108 Lakeshore Drive (DEP 322-1042), an after-the-fact filing tied to prior unpermitted renovation work within 100 feet of Dudley Pond at the applicant’s request.
The commission approved a 7.5-by-16-foot kitchen addition at 116 Lakeshore Drive (DEP 322-1059). The project includes removal of an existing deck and ramp but no new septic work is proposed. Botanist Ken Thompson said the work is on an already developed landscape. Conservation Administrator Linda Hansen said conditions would require a 15-foot vegetated buffer and a current Chapter 91 license for an existing dock. Members requested written confirmation supporting his 2022 wetland delineation.
At 38 Lakeshore Drive (DEP 322-1060), the commission approved a septic replacement and front-entrance relocation. Engineer Aleksandr Chongris said the project will install a “bottomless sand filter” system, described as the first of its kind in town but popular on the Cape, designed to reduce grading and provide denitrification treatment. He described its above-grade profile as looking like a raised bed sandbox, typically built with concrete masonry unit walls for durability.
Members asked whether the system effectively removes the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus. He said the Board of Health-approved project would use a ClearWater “Waterloo” biofilter that recently received approval for denitrification. Fischer asked about landscaping around the system and was told it should not be planted over, though decorative treatments such as keeping plants in pots or building a deck over it were possible.
The commission continued to March 4 the Notice of Intent for 123 Dudley Road after extensive discussion about stormwater design, steep-slope access and removal of roughly 119 trees within buffer zones. Seth Donohoe of Dillis and Roy Civil Design Group presented plans for a three-level home with elevator, septic system and stormwater management system on a 29,000-square-foot lot. The proposed dwelling would sit about 47 feet from the pond’s bank; a prior structure stood just over six feet away.
Hansen questioned impervious area calculations, treatment of permeable pavers, tree loss, including in the 30-foot no-disturb zone, placement of the Stormceptor and the feasibility of a temporary construction entrance on steep grades. She said the stormwater system may warrant peer review once revised. Abutters Skip Miller of 121 Dudley Road and Michael Morette of 125 Dudley Road urged the commission to require a smaller footprint, citing neighborhood character and tree loss concerns. Donohoe said the project would comply with local regulations and cover less than 10% of the lot.
Carroll School
The commission also continued the Carroll School Request for Determination (D-1046) for 35–47 Waltham Road. The applicant, after further discussion with Hansen, is exploring changes focused on stormwater management, including redirecting cleaner roof runoff toward wetlands behind the property rather than concentrating flows toward Waltham Road.
Other matters
Members discussed Article DD on the May 5 Annual Town Meeting warrant, which seeks $200,000 for an engineering study of the 13.7-acre parcel at 25 Holiday Road, also known as the Orchard Lane parcel. Commissioners raised concerns about habitat, potential flooding and prior legal constraints on changing the land’s use.
The commission also reviewed next steps for restricting second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides on municipal property, including adding prohibitions to town contract language or pursuing a Select Board policy.
Finally, members discussed restoration and conservation goals for the Route 20 South landfill area ahead of a Feb. 17 visioning session, including habitat enhancement, birding and improved connections to the rail trail and nearby wetlands. Hansen noted that MassDEP landfill compliance work and associated clearing had wiped out a key priority habitat area near Wash Brook and the rail trail on MBTA owned land outside of the town’s property.