Commission issues ORAD confirming wetland flags and vernal pools at 15–17 Harding Street

The Lakeville Conservation Commission on Sept. 23 closed an ANRAD hearing for 15 and 17 Harding Street and issued an Order of Resource Area Delineation confirming the locations of bordering vegetated wetland flags and two certified vernal pools on the site.

Brian Madden of LEC Environmental Consultants represented the applicants and summarized field observations on the roughly 15.5‑acre parcel along Route 44. Madden said the property includes former cranberry bog features, connecting ditches and drainage that extend to wetland systems off‑site and that two isolated vegetated wetlands on the parcel had already been certified as vernal pools based on observed amphibian breeding activity and fairy shrimp. Madden noted that a conservation restriction executed in 2006 encompasses 10.4 acres of the parcel; the ORAD confirms the mapped wetland boundaries that were the subject of the ANRAD filing.

Commissioners asked whether the new delineation differed materially from earlier documentation associated with a 2005 order of conditions. Madden said the present field flags largely match toe slopes in the record and that the only substantive difference was a small connection he observed along an old cart path/ditch that now appears blocked; the change does not alter the conservation restriction or the general wetland layout.

After discussion the commission voted to close the ANRAD hearing and issue an ORAD for the flagged resource areas shown on the submitted plan dated Aug. 19, 2025.

Why this matters: confirming wetland boundaries and certified vernal pools establishes the baseline resource limits that guide future development proposals and protections under the Wetlands Protection Act.

Next steps: the ORAD will be recorded and used as the official delineation for future filings on the property.