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Winchester Hospital proposes 7,100‑square-foot addition at 10 Commerce Way; Conservation Commission closes hearing
Summary
Cummings Properties representatives and engineers described a 7,100-square-foot single-story medical addition for Beth Israel Lahey Health at 10 Commerce Way, including riverfront-area impacts, a proposed infiltration system and a plan that reduces impervious area; the commission closed the public hearing and will issue an order within 21 days.
Representatives for MHP Realty LLC and Cummings Properties presented Sept. 25 to the Reuben Conservation Commission a proposal to add approximately 7,100 square feet to an existing single-story building at 10 Commerce Way to accommodate an expanded endoscopy center and adjacent gastroenterology services for Beth Israel Lahey Health’s Winchester Hospital.
Architect Michael Evaney and civil engineer Mark Slager (Allen Engineering) said the site is largely developed and lies partially within mapped riverfront buffers. The team said they revised the plans after preliminary input from MassDEP and added more pervious area by removing eight parking spaces to compensate for added impervious surface. They said the proposed rooftop runoff would be recharged using a chamber (Paltech) infiltration system located where test pits showed suitable sand and fill, with the bottom of the system designed to be several feet above seasonal groundwater.
Slager described test-pit results: the upper ~87 inches encountered medium-to-coarse sand, underlain by peat; he estimated the seasonal high groundwater at about 8 feet below grade and said the planned infiltration system bottom will maintain a separation greater than the two feet required by EEP guidance.
The team said the addition avoids the 25-foot no-disturb zone, uses curbing as a conservative buffer baseline and includes erosion-control measures (wattles, silt sacks) during construction. They also noted a modest net reduction in impervious area from reconfigured parking and landscape changes.
Commissioners asked about test-pit results, seasonal high groundwater, snow-storage areas and property management; applicants said snow removal uses islands and underutilized parking spaces and that a note on snow storage would be added to permit documents. One commissioner noted signage at the site to discourage dumping and snow disposal and said signs had been replaced after prior deterioration.
After public comment and commissioner questions, a motion to close the public hearing carried. The commission has up to 21 days to issue an order on the proposed work.
