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Milford wetlands commission reviews Learning Experience daycare plan at 708 Boston Post Road; no action taken
Summary
At the Feb. 19, 2025 meeting the commission received a new application (IW250007) for a two‑story, 11,500‑square‑foot Learning Experience daycare at 708 Boston Post Road. The applicant described compensatory flood storage, two basins, 36 parking spaces and a 5,060‑square‑foot playground; the city engineer requested additional information and the.
The Milford Inland Wetlands Commission received a presentation on Feb. 19, 2025, for application IW250007, a proposal by 708 Boston Post Road LLC to construct a two‑story Learning Experience daycare at 708 Boston Post Road.
Why it matters: The site lies partially within the commission’s 50‑foot upland review area and the 100‑year floodplain. The project includes compensatory storage in two modified basins that will be expanded to offset proposed filling in the flood zone; the commission’s review will focus on construction‑phase protections for off‑site wetlands and the adequacy of stormwater and compensatory storage measures.
Project summary presented Attorney Thomas Lynch introduced the applicant team: owner/operator Eric Spungen and Tim [JR Russo & Associates], the project engineer. Tim described the site as roughly 2 acres with an existing dental office on the western portion and a demolished building pad on the eastern portion. The proposal covers the eastern portion and includes: - An approximately 11,500‑square‑foot, two‑story daycare building; - A 5,060‑square‑foot outdoor playground; - About 36 new parking spaces; - Two basins in the site’s northeast corner sized for compensatory flood storage and stormwater management; - An on‑site stormwater system with catch basins, a proprietary stormwater treatment unit and pipe connections into the reworked northeast basin.
Tim said some existing runoff currently discharges untreated to the northeast corner; the proposed work would collect and treat the runoff and rebuild the outlet/spillway in that corner. “Currently, we have some untreated runoff that goes into this basin,” Tim told the commission; the project will expand and modify the basins and add treatment as part of redevelopment.
Wetland buffers and plantings The team said the project will likely disrupt earlier wetland‑buffer plantings installed as part of prior development work in the northeast corner. The applicants proposed to replant or transplant buffer species “in kind” and discussed making a planting maintenance bond available if the commission required one.
Operational and practical issues raised Commissioners and staff asked about snow storage and vehicle/servicing circulation near the dumpster. Commissioners suggested identifying on‑site snow shelves or using some parking spaces for temporary piles; applicant representatives agreed to examine specific snow‑shelf locations and adjust the dumpster/staging layout for plow access. Planning and zoning review, including a potential shared‑parking or special‑exception analysis, will run separately through the city’s land‑use process.
Staff and engineering review Mary Rose (city staff) said the file was referred to the City of Milford engineer and that the engineer’s comments arrived late the afternoon of Feb. 19; those comments were forwarded to the applicant. The applicant acknowledged receipt and said it would respond; no additional materials were submitted at the meeting. The wetlands on the site are off‑site (across from the City pump station and adjacent to the Wepawaug River), so the commission’s review focuses on runoff and construction‑period protections.
Next steps No formal vote or public hearing was held on IW250007 on Feb. 19. Commissioners agreed to keep the item on the agenda and return it for further review at the March 5, 2025 meeting. Staff will circulate the city engineer’s memo and any applicant responses ahead of the next session.
Key project numbers (as presented) - Building area: ~11,500 sq. ft.; playground: ~5,060 sq. ft.; parking: 36 spaces; site area: about 2 acres. - Compensatory basin work located in the northeast corner to maintain flood storage and accommodate the proposed development.
No determinations or permits were issued at the Feb. 19 meeting; commissioners asked the applicant to provide clarifications on snow storage, planting replacement and the city engineer’s outstanding questions before the next meeting.
