Charlton conservation commission ratifies notice of violation at 26 Willis Drive; owner and staff discuss remediation and permit amendment

The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission ratified a notice of violation and a cease-and-desist order on construction activity at 26 Willis Drive after staff found excavation and stockpiled material inside the resource-area buffer and unpermitted trenches for a proposed stone wall.

Commission staff told the board they discovered excavation and foundation work within about 30 feet of a perennial stream that feeds Prindle Lake, an unposted or missing DEP sign, stone stockpiles and a dumpster within the 100-foot buffer, and trenches dug for retaining walls that were not shown on the approved order of conditions. The commission voted to ratify the enforcement action and directed the applicant to file any needed amendment so the proposal can be considered at a future meeting.

Why it matters: the work is adjacent to a lake and resource area and, according to staff, risks mobilizing sediment or other pollutants into the wetlands. The commission required the owner to stop the disputed work, to provide a revised plan or an amendment to the recorded order of…