Conservation commission grants waivers for Boucher Road wetland crossings, requires soil testing

The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission on a unanimous voice vote granted two waivers to its stormwater rules and closed the public hearing on a proposal to cross wetlands with two driveways on Lot 1 and Lot 2, Boucher Road.

The proposal, presented by Glenn (wetlands presenter) and engineer Mika Lasla of Topland Survey, would create two driveway crossings and associated stormwater basins. The applicant filed replication plans for two crossings and said the project remains just under the commission’s 5,000‑square‑foot cap on wetland alteration. Glenn said the team will “follow 10 55 4 b 1 through 7” when constructing replication areas and described planned plantings including winterberry, red maple, arrowwood, silky dogwood and highbush blueberry, with hydric soils placed to obtain hydrology near the final surface.

Nut graf: The commission agreed to waive two stormwater requirements because of site constraints — steep slopes, a water table near the surface and soil types that limit infiltration — but imposed conditions intended to protect wetland functions, including an additional soil test at the proposed retention basin that town staff will witness.

Commission staff and the project team told the board that high groundwater (reported as about 2 feet in parts of the site), steep slopes (over 15 percent in areas), and hydrologic soil groups C and D make conventional recharge and BMP treatment trains infeasible without extraordinary measures. Topland Survey’s Mika Lasla said, “We’re limited in our ability to infiltrate on the property.” The team proposed directing paved runoff into three small detention basins, stone dikes at the wetland crossings, check dams and erosion controls along the disturbed edges.

The applicant requested two specific waivers from the commission’s stormwater rules as noted on the plan: a waiver from section 3.3 c 2 a 3 (stormwater recharge requirement) and a waiver from section 3.3 c 2 a 7 (volume/TSS treatment equivalent requirement). The project team cited the site’s high water table, soil conditions and proximity to wetlands as reasons the treatment trains and recharge are not feasible for a two‑home subdivision. A peer review of the stormwater plan was completed and most peer‑review comments have been addressed, the commission was told.

The commission approved both waiver motions and then voted to close the public hearing and issue an order with conditions. As a special condition based on peer review, staff required one additional soil test near the proposed retention basin after initial ground disturbance; the engineer agreed the test would be performed and that town staff would witness it. The project team also agreed to the applicant’s representation that the replication areas will be installed and overseen by Glenn, with planting spacing, soils and erosion controls as shown on the plan.

The commission record shows the applicant has used part of the commission’s 5,000‑square‑foot wetland alteration allowance on related lots in the subdivision and indicated there is no remaining capacity for further alteration beyond the proposed work. The order and conditions, including documentation and construction oversight for replication and erosion controls, were approved by voice vote. The motions, seconds and final vote were recorded by voice as “aye”; no roll‑call tallies or individual member names were given in the meeting transcript.

Ending: The applicant will proceed under the commission’s order and conditions; the additional soil test is required before the town will allow full construction of the proposed basins and final grading at the wetland crossings.