Concord Panel Approves Massport Restoration Plan

In this report: Key decisions · Next dates · Full report · Sources

What happened

The commission unanimously approved a wetland restoration plan for unauthorized vegetation clearing at Hanscom Field affecting 3,000 square feet of buffer, approved deer fencing for Barrett's Mill Farm, and extended permits for two developments. Three CPC funding requests totaling $1.07 million await November 18 prioritization; Malcolm Bryant's nomination as full member awaits Select Board approval November 9; and disputes over a Powder Mill Road house's septic design fell outside the commission's wetlands jurisdiction and were not resolved.

Key decisions

• 💰 Three CPC funding requests totaling $1.07 million. The commission will prioritize the three requests at its November 18 meeting. The requests include $150,000 to widen the Old Rifle Range Trail, $250,000 for open-space acquisition, and $670,000 for a West Concord pocket park. The director said available CPC funding cannot cover all requests this cycle. (Next: Nov. 18). Read case details
• 📋 Massport vegetation clearing restoration. The commission voted unanimously to approve a wetland restoration and monitoring plan for roughly 3,000 square feet of unauthorized vegetation removal by a Massport contractor. The plan calls for planting 19 trees (including gray birch, eastern redbud and pin oak) and six shrubs, beginning the week of November 9, plus cleanup of 2,000 square feet of wood chips. Greg Cohen was confirmed as environmental monitor. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Three-year extension of wetland delineation. The commission voted to extend the approved isolated-vegetated-wetland line (ANRAD) to December 8, 2029. Approved fill areas total 3,740 and 1,190 square feet in two locations, with actual fill to date about 3,624 square feet, construction not yet complete. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 🏠 Single-family home with deck and retaining wall. The commission voted unanimously to close the hearing and issue an order of conditions with standard conditions 1-20 and special conditions 21-58. Resident Michael Williams disputed whether the six-bedroom septic design matched the 2,100-square-foot footprint, but Chair Smith said sizing fell outside the commission's wetlands jurisdiction. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Hazard tree removal and protective fencing. The commission voted unanimously to close the hearing and issue an order of conditions with findings A, B and C, standard conditions 1-20 and special conditions 21-49. Approval covers removal of hazard trees structurally compromised after roughly 50 years of growth, installation of a five-foot fence within the 200-foot riverfront and 100-foot buffer zone to protect children from a steep grade, and replacement plantings. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Irrigation project extension to December 31, 2027. The commission granted an extension to December 31, 2027, rather than the requested one-year window, to complete new irrigation and tee renovations delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and contractor scheduling backlogs. Neighboring Sudbury Conservation Commission had already granted an extension to November 2027. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Tree removal and restoration violation continued. The matter was continued to November 18, 2026, pending assignment of a DEP file number. A contractor working under a hazard-tree removal contract lowered a mowing deck and mulched ground near a stream channel beyond intended scope on September 15; park staff stopped the work the same day and laid down native seed and erosion controls within three days. (Next: Nov. 18). Read case details
• 👤 Kameza resignation and Bryant nomination. Bill Kameza resigned from the Natural Resources Commission and Trails Committee, citing time constraints, but remained on the Warner's Pond Committee. Malcolm Bryant was nominated as a full member, pending Select Board approval expected November 9. (Next: Nov. 9). Read case details
• 📋 Sauna, deck and septic system continued. The matter was continued to November 18, 2026. Outstanding items include relocating a chicken coop that partly sits within the 50-foot no-build zone, clarifying the surface material of an in-progress fire pit, mapping invasive Japanese knotweed for removal, and reconciling a discrepancy over whether the coop falls within the 50-foot buffer. (Next: Nov. 18). Read case details
• 📋 Septic system replacement. The commission voted unanimously to close the hearing and issue an order of conditions with finding A, standard conditions 1-20 and special conditions 21-52, contingent on the applicant submitting a revised plan clearly marking the old tank's location by Friday, October 30, at noon. The plan removes two large northern red oak trees to make room for a crane and new tanks, with two swamp white oaks proposed as replacement plantings. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Wetland fill violation restoration. The commission voted unanimously to approve the restoration plan for a violation discovered in 2023 involving unauthorized expansion of an agricultural pond and placement of excavated spoil up to 18 inches deep into adjacent wetlands. Fill material has been mechanically removed and trucked off-site, and the disturbed area will be seeded with native New England seed mix and straw before winter. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 🛠 Eight-foot-high deer fencing approval. The commission voted unanimously to approve the eight-foot-high black netting deer fence around an eight-and-a-half-acre field. The farm's seasonal electric fencing has failed against escalating deer pressure over the past three years. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources awarded a grant covering 80 percent of the fencing cost. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Riverbank violation release and restoration. The commission voted to release the violation and approve continued hand-removal of invasive plants by the homeowner. An unknown person had caused unauthorized riverbank digging damage; the property owner cooperated and engaged landscaper Alden Laurel to add loam, native shrubs and seed mix, which staff found satisfactory. (Vote unanimous). Read case details
• 📋 Negative determination for lawn removal and plantings. The commission voted unanimously to issue a negative determination of applicability with three standard conditions, including a pre-construction site visit and post-work certification, for removal of 1,000 square feet of lawn, dead trees and invasive species within the 100-foot buffer to a wetland bordering Elm Street, with replanting of native evergreens, winterberry and ground cover. (Vote unanimous). Read case details

Next dates

• Nov. 2: Open Space and Recreation Plan kickoff meeting
• Nov. 9: Select Board to consider Bryant confirmation
• Nov. 18: Commission meeting: CPC prioritization and continuations
• Nov. 30: Warners Pond RFP responses due

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Full meeting report

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Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.