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Sudbury conservation commission continues review of wetlands filing for 331 Hudson Road, asks for clearer footprints and mitigation
Summary
The Conservation Commission continued the notice of intent for work at 331 Hudson Road (DEP file 3011428), asking the applicant for clearer area polygons, a restored Sanger Street plan, clarified mitigation planting sizes, and a permeable-driveway/turnaround layout before the hearing resumes on March 10, 2025.
The Sudbury Conservation Commission continued its review of a notice of intent for 331 Hudson Road (DEP file 3011428) after members said the current plans lack clear area polygons and details about restoration, stormwater and access to a septic system.
The house owner, Brian Huss, and the project engineer, Fred Montgomery, presented a revised plan that combines previously proposed phases into a single filing. The proposal includes an addition, removal of outbuildings, limited driveway revisions, and new plantings within the 100-foot buffer and 200-foot riverfront area under the Wetlands Protection Act and Sudbury Wetlands Administration bylaw. Montgomery said the latest footprint on the table is 1,612 square feet and that the applicant intends the garage to store up to six vehicles.
Commission staff Laurie (Conservation staff) told commissioners the commission’s primary task is to confirm the minimum possible footprint and to compare the multiple footprint alternatives the applicant supplied (1,170; 1,379; 1,665; and 1,612 square feet). Laurie also flagged an outstanding restoration item on Sanger Street where unpermitted structures (a tarp building and storage trailer) will be removed and recommended the area be revegetated. She asked that proposed tree and shrub sizes be raised (for example, two-inch caliper trees instead of one-and-a-half-foot dogwoods and larger containers for striped maple).
Montgomery and builder Fred (identified in the record as a builder in Worcester, Massachusetts) said excavation will be minimal and that roof runoff will be directed into a proposed dry well designed to the 10-year storm event. Montgomery said the addition sits roughly 4.4 feet from a lot line after a variance granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Commissioners sought clearer drawings showing exact polygons for: the proposed addition footprint; the tarp building removal area; the existing and proposed driveway and any turnaround; and the location of the septic tank and leach field relative to Sanger Street. Commissioner Mark Sevier pressed for vehicle-turning diagrams and asked that the applicant show vehicle footprints, the proposed permeable-driveway detail (if used), and the proposed turnaround so the commission can be confident the table of areas matches what is drawn.
Laurie said the commission must be under 5,000 square feet of total impervious surface to retain approval authority; if the project exceeds 5,000 square feet the commission cannot approve the filing. Commissioners also discussed whether restoration planting could be located to the edge of Sanger Street to demarcate and protect the restored area while preserving limited access for septic servicing.
No final permit was issued. The commission voted to continue the hearing to March 10, 2025, so the applicant can produce: (1) a single plan showing polygons for every line item in the impervious/mitigation table; (2) a permeable-driveway and turnaround footprint (with detail) or a revised existing-driveway plan that matches the table; (3) a Sanger Street restoration plan that preserves necessary access to the septic system while defining the restored area; (4) planting-size clarifications (two-inch caliper trees and three-gallon shrubs where required); (5) a proposed monumentation/demarcation approach for restored areas; and (6) photo documentation and a construction sequencing note if partial approval is sought. Montgomery asked whether the commission could grant partial approval limited to the house repairs (phase 1) while the garage and driveway details are finalized; commissioners said they are open to phasing but need the consistent, complete plans requested at the next hearing.
The hearing was continued to March 10, 2025. The transcript shows commissioners repeatedly asked for CAD-style polygons and vehicle-swept-path diagrams so the numeric table and the map match.
The commission did not adopt any additional conditions at the continuation and did not vote to approve the project at tonight’s meeting.
