Uxbridge conservation panel approves Crown Shield stormwater permit with $3,000 perpetual maintenance bond

The Town of Uxbridge Conservation Commission on Oct. 6 approved a Department of Environmental Protection notice of intent (DEP 3121189) and a Chapter 2.90 stormwater management permit (SWM 11) for the Crown Shield Avenue development, imposing a perpetual maintenance bond of $3,000 and conditions requiring conservation-commission inspection before any erosion-control measures are removed.

The commissions chair opened the public hearing on the project and invited the applicants civil engineer, Sean Malone of Oak Consulting Group, to summarize recent changes. Malone told the commission the team had resubmitted revised plans in response to peer review comments from Graves Engineering and that the peer-review letter dated Sept. 29 acknowledged the comments had been addressed. "At this point we have no further changes proposed," Malone said during his presentation (see transcript SEG 042SEG 057).

Why it matters: The commissions vote approves both the DEP filing and the town stormwater permit; the perpetual bond and inspection conditions create continuing town oversight of the sites stormwater controls until the roadway is accepted by the town.

What the commission required: Commissioners pressed for detail on topography, pipe velocities and maintenance. The applicant revised an outlet pipe slope to reduce maximum velocities (previously one pipe exceeded the 12 feet-per-second maximum), added a downspout connection detail and clarified the O&M plan to define "regular basis" as at least twice a year. The board discussed whether 1-foot or 2-foot contour intervals should be shown on the plans and did not record a separate waiver decision at the meeting; the contour-interval issue remains part of the record (transcript SEG 082SEG 126).

On erosion controls, the commission required phased inspections and explicit permit language authorizing removal only after commission authorization. As Malone proposed during the meeting, the commission adopted a condition effectively stating that "no erosion control shall be removed unless authorized by the Uxbridge Conservation Commission" and agreed the word "phased" should be added so removals could be tied to phase inspections (transcript SEG 197SEG 241).

The bond and the vote: Commissioners discussed holding a perpetual bond for stormwater maintenance and the applicant indicated the estimated annual maintenance budget is about $3,000. The commission voted to approve the DEP order and the stormwater permit SWM 11 with a perpetual bond of $3,000 until road acceptance by the town; the motion passed by voice vote (transcript SEG 516SEG 526).

Next steps: The commissions clerk will finalize paperwork and collect signatures; the permit carries a 10-day appeal period before it becomes final (transcript SEG 531SEG 539). The commission also recorded its motion to close the public hearings for the DEP filing and the stormwater permit at the meeting (transcript SEG 589SEG 596).

Provenance: The account above is based on the applicant presentation and permitting discussion beginning at SEG 025 and continuing through the vote at SEG 526; key plan-change details appear at SEG 130SEG 156 and the erosion-control condition was discussed at SEG 197SEG 241.

Ending: The commission recorded the vote and the 10-day appeal period; staff will prepare the signed order of conditions and permit paperwork.