Revere Conservation Commission approves two Floyd Street filings, continues several major items and schedules site visits

The Revere Conservation Commission on an evening session approved two filings for work at 30 Floyd Street, declined to grant a certificate of compliance for a Putnam Road property that remains out of compliance, continued public hearings on the Gibson Park renovation and a proposed multi-level parking garage on Rear Squire Road, and directed staff to schedule site visits and follow-up enforcement steps for two properties with drainage and retaining-wall problems.

The commission approved a full Notice of Intent and an abbreviated Notice of Intent tied to work at 30 Floyd Street, which includes demolition of an existing garage and construction of a single-family house with foundation openings intended to allow floodwaters to pass. Paul Finocchio of PJF and Associates, representing the property owner, told the commission the site visit by commissioners had shown the plan and that the new house will include two parking spaces and grassed areas. After commissioners discussed downspouts and erosion controls the commission voted to approve both filings.

The commission declined to issue a certificate of compliance for work at 29–33 Putnam Road after a May 3 site visit found repaving and fill spread across the yard, missing erosion controls and an active cease-and-desist on the property. The commission recorded that the driveway repave was incomplete, erosion controls were absent and the work as executed violated the earlier order of conditions. Commissioners said fines and further administrative penalties are outside the commission’s immediate enforcement tools but that the city’s inspectional services must pursue remediation; the certificate of compliance will remain continued until the site is brought into compliance.

The commission opened a public hearing on Phase 1 of the Gibson Park Recreation Expansion Project, presented by Claire Hokebone of LAC Environmental Consultants on behalf of the City of Revere, and continued the hearing to the next meeting after questions from commissioners and the public. Phase 1 covers work wholly inside Gibson Park and will reconfigure paths, convert a manicured lawn and baseball field to a multipurpose athletic field, reduce some paved areas in the riverfront area and add stormwater controls. Hokebone told commissioners the project will remove roughly 230,000 square feet of barrier beach/coastal dune/land subject to coastal storm flowage impacts across the site (about a little under 230,000 sq ft total) and about 78,000 square feet within the riverfront area; mitigation measures include more than 5,000 square feet of coastal seed mix and three bioswales plus subsurface stormwater storage units. She said the design is natural-turf grass for the multipurpose field, not synthetic turf, and that the project would likely start in summer and could take more than a year to complete. Commissioners asked for more detail on tree sizes and construction timeline; Hokebone said the plan removes 17 existing trees and proposes planting 40 new trees (a net increase of 23) and that she would return with planting-size specifics and schedule information.

Rick Salvoort of Engineering Alliance presented an initial filing for redevelopment near Charger Street for R and S Realty Trust, a project that would demolish two contractor-yard buildings and construct a five-level precast parking garage with 583 spaces serving a park-and-fly/shuttle use to Logan Airport. Salvoort described extensive stormwater work, including pervious asphalt over a deep reservoir layer in the rear (about 27 inches of stone below the pervious pavement), deep-sump catch basins, and a CDS water-quality unit before discharge to an existing 30-inch pipe; building slab elevations were proposed to be raised above the 100-year floodplain to support an eventual LOMA. The commission opened but continued the hearing to allow time for DEP review and to obtain comments from the city and technical reviewers.

A contentious compliance matter involving 20 Chamberlain Avenue drew lengthy public comment. Homeowner Juan Sanchez described installing a small fenced yard area and said he had not realized changes required permitting. Neighbors, including Wendy Sheridan (36 Putnam Road) and another neighbor, described increased backyard and basement water since excavation and fill, and urged the commission to require restoration. Commissioners told Sanchez to remove or regrade fill and to remove asphalt and nonstandard retaining structures, and scheduled a site visit in the coming week to develop a remediation plan and explore lower-cost engineering options (French drains, dry wells, replacement of impermeable surface). The commission emphasized it would work with the homeowner to reduce impacts to neighbors and to avoid a failure of the current makeshift retaining arrangement.

Another filing at 1012 North Shore Road for a driveway extension was discussed; commissioners and staff said the way the applicant regraded and stockpiled material had created a water-storage condition that has been affecting neighboring yards and the homeowner was advised to restore the original grades and coordinate a plan before the commission can act on a driveway extension. The hearing remains continued pending remediation and formal plans.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the meeting minutes: approved (voice vote: Aye). - 30 Floyd Street, Notice of Intent (MassDEP file 061084030): motion to approve NOI approved (voice vote: Aye). - 30 Floyd Street, Abbreviated Notice of Intent (MassDEP file 0610843): motion to approve abbreviated NOI approved (voice vote: Aye). - 29–33 Putnam Road, certificate of compliance: not approved; continued pending compliance and remediation following site visit. - Gibson Park (MassDEP file 0610842), Phase 1 Notice of Intent: hearing opened and continued to next meeting for additional information and DEP comments. - Rear Squire Road parking garage (R and S Realty Trust): hearing opened and continued; additional DEP and commission review required. - 20 Chamberlain Avenue notice of violation: hearing left open; commission scheduled an on-site inspection and directed homeowner to coordinate remediation. - 1012 North Shore Road Notice of Intent (driveway extension): continued pending corrective work and submission of formal grading/stormwater plans.

What the commission directed next - Staff to schedule site visits for 20 Chamberlain Avenue, 1012 North Shore Road, and other ongoing matters and to request DEP comment timelines for Gibson Park and the Rear Squire Road filing. - Applicants for Gibson Park and Rear Squire Road to provide plant sizes, construction schedule and DEP responses at the next meeting. - Homeowner at 29–33 Putnam Road to restore required erosion controls and comply with the cease-and-desist before the commission will consider a certificate of compliance.

Why this matters The projects represent a mix of redevelopment and public-park investment in low-lying coastal areas of Revere where stormwater, riverfront and barrier-beach protections intersect. Approvals and conditions set here affect flood risk, stormwater runoff to neighboring properties and coastal resource mitigation; continued hearings reflect the commission’s effort to balance redevelopment, recreational improvements and statutory wetland protections.