Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wetlands Buffer Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gardner conservation commission continues hearing on carport at 31 Traverse St. pending survey
Summary
The Gardner Conservation Commission continued a hearing on a proposed single-car carport at 31 Traverse Street after commissioners said submitted sketches lack scaled measurements and the site may lie within multiple wetland buffers; the applicant was asked to supply a property survey and clearer plans.
The Gardner Conservation Commission on Nov. 10 continued a public hearing on a proposal to install a small carport at 31 Traverse Street after commissioners said the application lacked scaled measurements and may encroach on regulated buffers.
The commission opened the hearing under the state Wetlands Protection Act (M.G.L. c.131, §40) and the City of Gardner Wetlands Protection Ordinance. The filing, listed in the notice as submitted by Robert Rudd, described a one-car carport attached to the existing garage, supported on three posts with a shallow roof and no proposed change in grade beyond removing some topsoil and replacing it with base material.
Commissioners questioned the applicant about the distance from the proposed work to the brook and to property boundaries. The applicant estimated the brook was roughly 50 feet from the work and that the brook’s edge is another 35–40 feet from the property edge; commissioners said those figures are insufficient without a scaled plan or formal survey. One commissioner said, “There’s no way for us to tell” the regulatory implications without confirmed measurements, and another urged the applicant to obtain a property survey so staff could verify setback distances.
Staff and commission members noted the parcel sits near several overlapping resource-area buffers — including 30‑ and 60‑foot no‑disturb/no‑build zones and an estimated 100‑foot riverfront area — which can impose stricter limits on new construction. Commissioners also discussed practical concerns such as snow removal, existing debris near the work area, and whether past disturbances affect the Commission’s evaluation.
Rather than rule on the termination-of-applicability request tonight, the commission voted to continue the hearing to Nov. 24, 2025, and directed the applicant to provide a survey and clearer, scaled plans. Commissioners also suggested exploring alternative placements (for example, on the opposite side of the garage) that might avoid the most restrictive buffer zones. The hearing was continued by voice vote.
Next steps: the applicant is expected to supply a property survey and revised plans ahead of the continued hearing so staff and commissioners can re-evaluate resource impacts and setback compliance.
