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ZBA grants special permit for limited earth‑moving at Keys Road site to enable conservation restoration
Summary
The board approved a special permit for about 20 acres of on‑site regrading and spreading of previously excavated gravel at the Keys Road property, allowing the North County Land Trust to begin low‑impact grading and initial plantings with conditions on operating hours and coordination with school bus schedules.
The Zoning Board granted a special permit on Feb. 18 allowing earth‑moving work at the Keys Road property to begin a planned ecological restoration by North County Land Trust.
Russell Burke of BSC Group and Emily Merlino, director of land programs for the land trust, described plans to regrade stockpiled sand/gravel on roughly 20 acres of the 1,157‑acre site and to spread the material on site to create more stable grade for native Sandy Plain grassland restoration. They said no material would be exported or imported — the work would redistribute spoils already on site.
Burke said the Conservation Commission reviewed the project and issued an order of conditions the same day, covering stormwater controls and erosion‑sediment measures. Merlino said initial plantings would be modest (for example, little bluestem) and that major plantings would be deferred one to two years to allow natural regeneration.
Board members asked about traffic, hours and safety. The applicants said heavy equipment mobilization is limited to initial staging and that daily onsite activity would be moderate. The board conditioned the permit on hours of operation and on the applicant coordinating construction timing to avoid school bus runs. The motion adopted restrictions including Monday–Friday daytime work hours (approximate 7 a.m.–5 p.m.), no weekend or holiday heavy work without advance notice, and advance coordination with the school department on bus schedules to avoid conflicts during morning and afternoon pickup and drop‑off times.
The board recorded public support from a longtime neighbor and former land trust director who urged approval. The board voted to approve the special permit with the conditions noted; the Conservation Commission’s order of conditions was incorporated by reference.
The land trust said the initial work will be followed by a monitoring and maintenance program and a potential phased ecological restoration plan that will be presented to city staff and the conservation commission as required.
