The Southborough Conservation Commission voted July 17 to close a continued public hearing and to find that proposed replacement of the underground irrigation system at the golf course is in compliance with the site's conservation restriction, the commission's staff said. The commission also directed erosion controls be placed near the limit of work and asked that the CR compliance finding be recorded in the project's order of conditions.

The finding matters because the golf course crosses areas subject to both the Wetlands Protection Act and a conservation restriction held by Sudbury Valley Trustees, and the CR holder must sign off before some work proceeds. The project replaces an existing irrigation system and will, according to the applicant, be restored to play after temporary disturbance.

Bill Condiff, identified in the meeting as the town's Department of Public Works superintendent, told the commission the project replaces an existing irrigation system and that he had since received a MassDEP file number and comments from the state agency. A consultant for Wilkins Environmental said he walked the site and reported missing or worn wetland flags in some areas and recommended the applicant confirm flood-zone and bank delineations on updated plans. Commission staff and the consultant discussed whether impacts would be temporary because the work replaces an existing system.

Commission members asked whether work would extend into the 20-foot no-disturb setback and whether areas of previous drainage work had changed established mowing limits. Consultations with the CR holder, Sudbury Valley Trustees, were already pending; commission staff said SVT had asked to see the commission's finding on CR compliance and that a positive statement would help SVT move forward. Commissioner Ben (identified in the transcript only by first name) moved that the commission make a formal finding the proposed irrigation work is in compliance with the conservation restriction; commissioners voted in favor and instructed staff to include that finding in the order of conditions.

Commissioners also directed that erosion controls be placed close to the limit of work and that typical best-management practices be used during installation and removal of temporary construction mats. The applicant indicated construction mats will be used to protect wet areas and that National Grid/New England Power environmental guidance (EG303) and standard BMPs will be followed during the work. A representative said mats would likely be in place up to about seven months and that monitoring and post-construction stabilization would be required.

The commission's vote was unanimous on the CR finding and to close the hearing; staff said they will convey the commission's compliance statement to Sudbury Valley Trustees and incorporate erosion-control language into the order of conditions.

The commission recorded the votes on the CR-finding motion as: Zulek ' yes; Barrington ' yes; Stig ' yes; Basimata ' yes. The commission closed the hearing and directed staff to include the CR finding in the project's Order of Conditions.