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Conservation commission amends enforcement orders, receives cleanup and monitoring updates
Summary
The Worcester Conservation Commission on May 19 amended enforcement orders and set monitoring deadlines after receiving updates on multiple compliance matters including planned replantings at Tiffany Avenue, cleanup at Assumption College, and a restoration plan for an over-cleared site at Tory Fortley.
The Worcester Conservation Commission on May 19 amended enforcement orders and confirmed monitoring deadlines for several active enforcement matters, and staff reported cleanup or remediation work in progress at multiple sites.
Why it matters: Enforcement and compliance actions show how the commission monitors and enforces conditions protecting wetlands and flood-prone land, and how it follows up when permitted work diverges from approved plans.
Key enforcement actions and updates
Tiffany Avenue (enforcement amendment and plantings): The commission amended an enforcement order to require relocation of about 30 previously purchased saplings into specified flagged locations and documentation from a wetland scientist. Paul McManus of Echotech reported the owner purchased 30 plants in 2-gallon pots (roughly 3–4 feet tall) but planted many along the parcel perimeter rather than scattering them as originally approved; McManus flagged recommended planting spots. The commission set a June 15 deadline for the plantings to be relocated and required a monitoring report by Sept. 30, followed by a final monitoring report next year.
Assumption College crumb-rubber cleanup (update): Ecologist Paul McManus said crews removed substantive crumb-rubber infill from three shoreline areas and hand-cleaned an adjacent slit drain; he recommended a staff site visit and indicated no further action would be needed if the field visit verifies the cleanup. Staff will inspect and report back to the commission.
82 Holden Street (phragmites removal, DEP complaint): Staff reported a DEP complaint after satellite imagery showed machinery at a removal site; the property owner supplied video showing phragmites removal by hand and crews using small equipment to move material. Staff said no unauthorized excavation was observed and recommended documenting shrub plantings to restore shoreline cover; a recommended planting list was provided to the property owner.
Tory Fortley (over-clearing restoration): The applicant retained a consultant and submitted a buffer-zone restoration plan after over-clearing near a bordering vegetated wetland. The commission amended the enforcement order to allow restoration plantings to be installed by June 30 and indicated conservation staff would release a building-permit hold after the required planting and documentation are provided.
Next steps and monitoring: For sites with required plantings and restorations, the commission set near-term planting deadlines (June 15–June 30) and required written confirmation from wetland scientists or consultants; staff will inspect completed work and expect monitoring reports at the end of the growing season and the following year as conditions of closing enforcement cases.
