Wayland Conservation Commission continues Coptic church hearing to March 25

WAYLAND — March 4, 2026 — Wayland Conservation Commission continues Coptic church hearing as members call project too big for site. The commission voted 7-0 to continue the St. Philopater Mercurius & St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church's Rice Road notice of intent to March 25, citing unresolved stormwater issues, the loss of more than 500 trees, and a five-year construction window that exceeds the three-year Order of Conditions. Chair Sean Fair said he would consult Town Counsel on the timeline mismatch, while Vice Chair Shannon Fischer called the plan "dangerously at a scale" for the 5.5-acre site, which would be 61 percent impervious. Attorney Jonathan Silverstein said the church "is not going to dramatically redesign or reduce the size of the project." In a separate 7-0 vote, the commission authorized a stormwater peer review for a single-family home at 123 Dudley Road after revisions cut buffer-zone impervious area by roughly 1,000 square feet.