Hubbardston open-space committee raises aquifer and habitat concerns over sandpit development proposal

The Town of Hubbardston Open Space Committee on a recent meeting reviewed the status of a development proposal for land in the town’s gravel-pit area and urged careful review of groundwater and habitat risks before any plan advances.

Committee members and guests said the request-for-proposals covered roughly 10 acres in the sand/gravel-pit complex north of Pitcherville Road and that only a single bid had been received by the deadline. Committee members said the request itself did not include detailed environmental analysis or a clear map showing the exact footprint of the proposed work; committee staff said the selected contractor would present a development plan and that the town expects at least one public meeting and interface with the planning board during plan development.

Why it matters: speakers warned that the northwestern quadrant of town contains conservation values — an important aquifer, vernal pools, cold-water stream segments, and a parcel of state forest — that could be affected by intensive development. Several participants said earlier proposals for the pits had…