Norwood commission OKs maintenance of Norwest Woods retention basin with conditions

The Norwood Conservation Commission on June 18 voted to issue a negative determination of applicability for maintenance work on a stormwater detention basin at the Norwest Woods development, allowing the work to proceed with special conditions.

The ruling allows Chestnut Hill Realty and its contractor to restore the basin “to its original design and function,” according to Zachary Navarro of Essex Horticulture, who spoke for the applicant. Commission staff recommended the negative determination but proposed conditions to prevent unintentional impacts to adjacent wetlands, including limits on equipment placement, erosion controls, and restrictions on stockpiling and debris disposal.

Navarro told the commission the work is “authorized maintenance” under an existing order of conditions (section b.01.01) and described a June 9 site visit that found more extensive vegetation and some vegetation grown into the rip-rap, which he said had “compromised the basin’s function.” He said the contractor plans to use a mini-excavator rather than hand tools to restore the basin to its as-built specifications and that work would occur during dry weather with erosion controls in place.

Carly (conservation planner/agent) recommended the negative determination but offered multiple special conditions aimed at preventing degradation of nearby resource areas: no heavy machinery, stockpiles, equipment or waste materials shall be placed in the wetland; erosion and sediment controls must be monitored and adjusted throughout the project; any entrapped sediment must be removed outside the 100-foot buffer; soil or excavated material shall not be stockpiled within 50 feet of wetlands, floodplains or storm drains; plantings must be native and tolerant of the wet-dry regime; and no landscaping debris shall be dumped into wetlands or the buffer zone. She also said she observed lawn-mowing debris at the wetland edge during her site visit and asked that the owner be informed.

A commissioner moved to issue the negative determination with the special conditions; the motion passed on a roll-call vote with Commissioners Kelsey Quinlan, Anil Persad and Kalima Mustapha Woodburg voting yes.

The commission recorded that the work must follow the basin’s original footprint, capacity and function and that all removed materials are to be disposed of off-site and erosion controls maintained for the duration of the work.

The commission and applicant said they will coordinate timing and notify staff before work begins so compliance with the special conditions can be monitored.