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Commission continues Woburn Country Club irrigation proposal to April 24 for plan revisions
Summary
The commission continued consideration of a proposed replacement irrigation system at Woburn Country Club to April 24 and asked the applicant for a plan showing alternative mainline routing and a written rationale for using an RDA rather than a Notice of Intent.
The Woburn Conservation Commission on April 10 continued a filing by Woburn Golf and Ski (Woburn Country Club) to replace its golf‑course irrigation system, asking the applicant to provide additional plan detail and a written rationale for why the work was filed as a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) rather than a Notice of Intent.
Attorney Thomas Lawton introduced the proposal and called witnesses Jeff Bowman of Irrigation Consulting and Brian Vinchesi, the project irrigation specialist, to describe the work. Bowman said the project replaces existing distribution piping and sprinklers supplied from an existing pump station and constructed pond; the proposal does not change the pond or water supply characteristics and largely works within maintained turf. “We are not proposing any changes to the pond, nor are we doing the pump station,” Bowman said. The applicants emphasized construction methods designed to minimize disturbance, including sod stripping and trenching limits and “pulling” small diameter pipe under sod to avoid open excavations.
Commissioners raised jurisdictional and process questions. Several members said the filing looked like a larger public water system or more than a minor activity and suggested the matter might belong as a Notice of Intent under the Wetlands Protection Act criteria rather than an RDA. Commissioner comments asked for more detail on erosion controls, stockpile locations and spoil disposal, and requested a plan that demonstrates why mainline piping must sit close to Sugar Brook on Hole 3 and whether the mainline could be routed farther from the resource area.
The commission also requested written confirmation that construction will proceed “one hole at a time,” with mainline installation followed by laterals, and that the bidding specifications require that sequencing. Commissioners asked for a plan revision showing the proposed mainline relocation (where practicable), a stockpile/disposal approach, and an updated justification explaining why an RDA is appropriate. The applicant agreed to provide the requested materials and documentation.
A motion to continue the hearing to the commission’s April 24 meeting carried. The commission also asked staff to confirm whether the filing was sent to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and requested a document explaining the RDA rationale be provided before the continued hearing.
