The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission voted to close the public hearing and issue an order with conditions for a proposed two‑story fire substation at 4 Oxford Road. The project team told the commission they had reduced work in wetland buffer zones and will manage stormwater on site.

Chris Adi of Niche Engineering, who said he was representing the town on the project, described the building as a roughly 13,000‑square‑foot, two‑story substation. Adi said the first floor would contain the apparatus bay, support rooms, administrative offices and a small meeting room; the second floor would include living quarters with a kitchen, dining area and dorms. He said the site plan showed roughly 20 parking spaces—with six in front and four in the rear designated for public parking—and 10 spaces for department staff or trailer storage.

A project presenter described changes made after town and peer‑review comments, saying the team had pulled elements out of the wetlands buffer and reduced impacts. The presenters showed site buffers on the plan: a 25‑foot buffer marked in red, a 100‑foot buffer in orange and an extended riverfront area farther west. They said a sewer pump station is proposed at the Oxford Road/Nugget Hill Road intersection to connect the building to an existing main; that is the only work proposed outside the immediate site footprint. Overhead wires will be moved with reconnection to an existing pole, described as not involving land disturbance.

On stormwater, the project team said the site will increase impervious area by about 0.8 acres and that runoff will be managed with two on‑site detention systems and treatment structures for phosphorus and total suspended solids. Because groundwater is shallow—approximately 3 feet—the team said infiltration basins are not feasible and that discharge will be to flared end sections to allow overland flow toward the wetland.

Following the presentation the commission asked questions and then voted to close the hearing and issue an order with conditions. The commission recorded the motion to close and issue the order as approved.

Commission staff also noted that the city is in the process of transferring the property to town ownership, and that recording requirements for the registry of deeds remain to be completed; staff said Andrew (town staff) has been working on the property transfer and that the commission or project team should follow up on recording.

The commission closed the item after the vote and indicated staff would follow up with the project team on recording and next steps.

Votes and formal action: The commission voted to close the hearing and issue an order and conditions (motion carried).