Conservation commission approves ORAD for Bear Hole/Highstone pending peer-review letter

The Taunton Conservation Commission voted Oct. 6 to approve an Order of Resource Area Delineation (ORAD) for 0 Bear Hole and 0 Highstone Street, with the decision held until the commission receives a written confirmation from its peer reviewer.

The vote followed a detailed peer review by Sam Crow of Ecosystem Solutions, who said his team reviewed the ANRAD form, the submitted site plan and a wetland resource assessment, and conducted site visits with the project wetland scientist. "We found a missed wetland, Northeast of the WFW 9 series," Crow said, and flagged several locations where he observed sphagnum moss and other wetland indicators. He also reported mapping additional potential vernal pools beyond those previously identified by NHESP and recommended those be called out on the plan.

Niles Vega of Zenith Consulting Engineers confirmed the applicant added flags to the plan and submitted revised drawings the same day; staff member Jenna Freitas told the commission the latest plan had been uploaded that day after a survey crew located the new flags. The peer reviewer and the wetland scientist then walked the flagged areas together;…