WORCESTER, Mass. — Representatives for Crown Castle presented a request for determination of applicability on June 30 seeking permission to install roughly 29 linear feet of 4‑inch communication conduit at 725 Southbridge Street. The proposed conduit and a new handhole would run from an existing handhold to a commercial building and require an open‑trench excavation in an area previously disturbed and partly within the 50‑ and 100‑foot buffer zones and bordering land subject to flooding.

Magdalena Lofstead, a wetland scientist representing Crown Castle, said the area is previously disturbed and that the trench would be shallow; excavated material would be stored adjacent to the trench and then returned, inlet protection would be installed at catch basins, compost logs would be installed at the limit of work, and spill kits would be on site. She said the project had been filed as a limited project under 10 53 3 d (as represented in the filing) and that the work would largely be below ground with no above‑ground permanent structures.

Staff reported that the project met performance standards for borderlands subject to flooding and had revised plans showing inlet protection on catch basins. Staff recommended issuing a negative determination of applicability with the standard limited‑project conditions. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about spoils storage and the duration of the work; the applicant said the excavation was expected to take about a week and that spoils would be stored adjacent to the trench.

After discussion, a motion to issue a negative determination passed. The vote recorded Commissioners Kirschner, Nystrom and Chair Diane Fratoni as voting in favor.