Milford wetlands agency gives owner until June 13 to remove dumped fill at 0 Cascade Boulevard

The Milford Inlands Wetlands Agency on June 4 modified a violation order requiring owner Mark Pucci to remove a pile of fill dumped near wetlands at 0 Cascade Boulevard, giving him until June 13, 2025, to complete removal.

The action follows an agency inspection that found temporary erosion controls (hay bales and stakes) installed around the piles but not properly butted or continuous, and a mitigation plan submitted to agency staff. City staff also noted known eastern box turtles in the nearby area and required adherence to DEP threatened-and-endangered-species protocols during any work.

Mary Rose, staff member for Milford City, said the violation (IWC25-006) was issued May 12 for work within 100 feet of wetlands and watercourses in the South Central Shoreline watershed without a permit. Rose told the agency she inspected the site the afternoon of the meeting and saw the piles and partially installed hay bales, and that a mitigation plan from Environmental Land Solutions had been received that same day. "I don't see any significant erosion, but we should either remove the material or get the erosion controls put in properly," Rose said.

Mark Pucci, the owner of record, told the agency the dumping was unintentional and said he had just received permission to access the adjacent Bridal Woods property to remove material. "I apologize, and whatever we have to do to take care of this, clean it up, we will do that," Pucci said. Matt Popp, landscape architect with Environmental Land Solutions, offered to assist with mitigation tasks within his scope of services.

Staff listed outstanding permit prerequisites that must be completed before any permit tied to the earlier approval can be reissued: a construction plan (including a no-storage sign), an enhanced planting plan to close gaps for turtle passage, a mitigation monitoring plan with success criteria, a stormwater/water-quality system maintenance plan to be recorded on land records, and consultant estimates so the city engineer and staff can set bonds for mitigation and erosion controls. Rose said the piles could be removed directly from the street to avoid running equipment over sensitive areas, provided DEP turtle protocols are followed.

Commissioner Julie Valvo moved to modify the violation to note that permission to access the adjacent property had been obtained, that sediment controls were not required while removal is pending, and that the piles on both the Bridal Woods property and 0 Cascade Boulevard must be removed by June 13, 2025. Jim Connors seconded. A roll-call vote recorded unanimous approval from present agency members.

The agency recorded the formal actions and retained the requirement that any work follow proper DEP protocols for threatened and endangered species. Pucci said he would arrange machinery and trucks to remove the material within the new deadline.

Agency staff will verify removal and outstanding permit prerequisites before releasing any bond or issuing related permits.