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2026-08-03 - Conservation Commission

Summary

This page summarizes the posted agenda, not what happened. The Commission was set to meet at 5:30 PM in the Levi Lincoln Chamber. Five Requests for Determination of Applicability were listed, including the Providence and Worcester Railroad right-of-way vegetation plan, a MassDOT yearly vegetation and herbicide plan along I-190, I-290 and Route 146, and Clark University soil excavation at 520 Park Avenue. Old Business Notices of Intent were the DCR playground and spray park at Quinsigamond State Park (283 Lake Avenue) and an 8-unit building at 35 State Road. Seven new Notices of Intent included 497 Granite Street, 9 Dalton Street, 21 New Bond Street, 99 Sears Island Drive, five duplexes on Modoc Street and the City's Indian Lake dam vegetation work, plus an amended order request for the roughly 30-unit Malden Woods subdivision. Other business covered three Certificates of Compliance, an emergency certificate for 2A Nonquit Street, 22 enforcement order updates and the Wetlands Protection Ordinance revisions.

Summary written from the posted agenda only; no minutes or transcript yet.

Issues discussed: Providence and Worcester Railroad Right-of-Way Vegetation Management, 283 Lake Avenue Quinsigamond State Park Playground, 35 State Road (SAL LLC), 497 Granite Street, 9 Dalton Street, 99 Sears Island Drive, 46, 51 and 52 Modoc Street, Indian Lake Dam Vegetation Management (149 West Boylston Drive), Malden Woods Subdivision (Whippoor LLC), Conservation Commission Enforcement Orders, Wetlands Protection Ordinance Revisions

Agenda

Conservation Commission Meeting Agenda, Monday, August 3, 2026, 5:30 PM, Worcester City Hall, Levi Lincoln Chamber, 3rd Floor (Room 309), 455 Main Street, with Zoom and phone participation. Commission members: Diane Fratoni (Chair), Devin Canton (Vice Chair), Stuart Kirshner, Lindsay Nystrom. Staff: Eric Flint (Conservation Manager), Mattie VandenBoom (Asst. Conservation Agent), among others. Upcoming meetings: August 24, September 14, October 5, October 26, November 16, December 7, 2026.

Call to Order - 5:30 PM. Requests for Continuances, Postponements, Withdrawals. Public Hearings.

New Business - Request for Determination of Applicability

  1. Providence and Worcester Railroad Right-of-Way - CC-2026-033 - Applicant: TEC Associates. Determine whether resource area boundaries on the plans are accurately delineated for a five-year vegetation management plan. (WPA and City Ordinance)
  2. 43 Weatherstone Drive (MBL CO-NDO-01061) - CC-2026-047 - Applicant: Deck It. Replacement of an existing concrete porch with composite decking and related sitework. (WPA and City Ordinance)
  3. 413 Lake Avenue (MBL 41-004-00027) - CC-2026-049 - Applicant: Oasis Construction Inc. Partial demolition and reconstruction of an existing deck and related sitework. (WPA and City Ordinance)
  4. I-190, I-290 & Route 146 Right-of-Way (Yearly Operational Plan) - CC-2026-053 - Applicant: Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Confirm resource area boundaries and whether vegetation management and targeted herbicide spraying along the rights-of-way is subject to jurisdiction. (WPA)
  5. 520 Park Avenue & 111 Maywood Street (MBL 14-023-00004 & 14-023-00016) - CC-2026-055 - Applicant: Clark University. Excavation and removal of soils and related sitework. (WPA and City Ordinance)

Old Business - Notice of Intent

  1. 283 Lake Avenue (Quinsigamond State Park) (MBL 41-047-00004) - CC-2026-044 & DEP# 349-1455 - Applicant: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Remove existing site improvements, reconfigure parking, construct a playground, spray park, cooling station, stormwater infrastructure and related sitework. (WPA and City Ordinance)
  2. 35 State Road (MBL 32-019-00316) - CC-2026-045 & DEP# 349-14xx - Applicant: SAL, LLC. Remove existing site improvements and construct an 8-unit residential building, parking, stormwater infrastructure and related sitework; request for a discretionary allowance from performance standard 4.2.4. (WPA and City Ordinance)

New Business - Notice of Intent

  1. 497 Granite Street (MBL 45-001-91-93) - CC-2026-026 & DEP# 349-1452 - Applicant: Eskay Builders LLC. Single-family dwelling, driveway, rain gardens and related sitework. (WPA and City Ordinance)
  2. 9 Dalton Street (MBL 34-019-00002) - CC-2026-048 - Applicant: Amanda Russo-Folco. Two-story residential building with driveway, utilities, stormwater infrastructure and related sitework. (City Ordinance)
  3. 21 New Bond Street (MBL 37-001-001EC) - CC-2026-051 - Applicant: RD Mass, INC. Commercial building, parking lot, stormwater infrastructure and related sitework. (City Ordinance)
  4. 99 Sears Island Drive (MBL 13-034-52+53) - CC-2026-052 & DEP# 349-14xx - Applicant: Lawerence Johnson. Addition and deck on a single-family home, shed removal, related sitework; waiver of performance standard 4.2.4. (WPA and City Ordinance)
  5. 46, 51, & 52 Modoc Street (MBL 38-017-1A-11, 38-017-1A-10 & 38-017-1A-09) - CC-2026-054 - Applicant: St. Anthony Realty, LLC. Five duplexes with driveways, stormwater infrastructure, utilities and related sitework. (City Ordinance)
  6. 149 West Boylston Drive (MBL 13-035-0001A) - CC-2026-056 & DEP# 349-14xx - Applicant: City of Worcester Department of Sustainability and Resilience. Remove vegetation along the embankment of the Indian Lake spillway and dam; waiver of performance standard 4.2.4. (WPA and City Ordinance)

New Business - Request for Amended Order of Conditions

  1. 0 Whippoorwill Drive & 0 Danielle's Way (aka Malden Woods Subdivision), the Whippoorwill Drive Right-of-Way and the westerly portion of the Castine Street Right-of-Way - CC-2026-050 (CC-2025-055, CC-2019-074 & DEP# 349-1266) - Applicant: Whippoor, LLC. Subdivision of approximately 30 residential units and a new roadway network connecting Whippoorwill Drive to Castine Street, with utilities, grading, paving, drainage, culvert installation and related sitework; discretionary allowance from performance standard 4.2.4. (WPA and City Ordinance)

Other Business

  1. Request for Certificate of Compliance: (a) 2A Nonquit Street (DEP# 349-0090); (b) 20 Sherer Trail (CC-2019-071 & DEP# 349-1261); (c) 3 Crest Avenue (CC-2024-052 & DEP# 349-1403)
  2. Emergency Certificate: (a) 2A Nonquit Street (CC-EC-2026-003)
  3. Enforcement Order and Violation Updates: (a) 133 Lake Avenue North (CC-2020-007); (b) 99 Wildwood Avenue (CC-EO-2020-009); (c) 269 James Street (CC-EO-2021-007); (d) 4 Tiffany Avenue (CC-EO-2023-001); (e) 570 Lincoln Street (CC-EO-2023-010); (f) 198 Granite Street (CC-EO-2024-001); (g) 86 Webster Street (CC-EO-2024-003); (h) Salisbury Hill (CC-EO-2024-005 & DEP# 349-1253); (i) 262 Mill Street (CC-EO-2024-007); (j) 142-158 Wildwood Avenue (CC-EO-2024-010); (k) 1256 West Boylston Street (CC-EO-2025-001); (l) 13 Holden Street (CC-EO-2025-002 & DEP# 349-1409); (m) 270 Webster Street (CC-EO-2025-004); (n) 34 Eskow Road & 224 Southwest Cutoff (CC-EO-2025-006); (o) 148A Tory Fort Lane (CC-EO-2025-007, CC-2023-016 & DEP# 349-1356); (p) 1259 West Boylston Street (CC-EO-2025-008); (q) 145 Newton Ave North (CC-EO-2025-009); (r) 757 Salisbury Street (CC-EO-2025-010 & CC-2023-005); (s) 9 & 13 Elton Street (CC-EO-2025-011, CC-2024-083 & DEP# 349-1407); (t) 612 Grove Street (CC-EO-2026-001); (u) 342 (aka 344, 346 & 348) Lake Avenue (CC-EO-2026-002 & DEP# 349-1435); (v) 88 Webster Street (CC-2023-025 & DEP# 349-1361)
  4. Open Space Discussion
  5. Discussion of Active Projects
  6. Communications: (a) Draft Priority Habitat Map - comment period - MassWildlife; (b) Natural Gas Main Replacement - Stoddard Drive - Eversource
  7. Approval of Minutes - 07/13/2026
  8. Update to Wetlands Protection Ordinance and Regulations
  9. Commission Liaison Updates
  10. Policies & Procedures

Adjournment

Transcript

Transcript pending: YouTube captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Worcester playbook).