Paul Revere presented a proposal on Dec. 6 to remove a plastic culvert and some rock at a small stream crossing near Weir Road on behalf of Harvey and Doreen Wright of 370 Ware Road. Revere said the channel is largely man-made historically associated with cranberry bog operations and that removing the culvert would "let nature take its course" and restore more natural flow. He described a short, low-impact operation using waddles, hay bales, and an excavator to remove the plastic pipe and to dispose of removed material off-site.

Staff told the commission that the DEP file number for the project had not been issued; because of that, the commission could hear testimony but could not vote. Commissioners and staff discussed sequencing of revegetation, seeding with an approved mix, slope matching, minimal siltation controls (for example, a short silt fence), and a suggested time-of-year restriction to conduct work during the growing season (April) to limit erosion and support revegetation. Revere and Mr. Wright estimated the excavation mass would be small—roughly 2 cubic yards of material—and that the work would likely take less than an hour.

Given that the DEP reviewer had been re-assigned and the application was refiled, staff recommended continuing the hearing until DECEMBER 19 to give DEP time to issue a number and provide comments. The commission voted to continue the hearing to Dec. 19 to allow DEP review and to prepare appropriate special conditions.

The continuing hearing will allow staff to incorporate DEP comments and finalize any time-of-year restrictions and requirements for seeding/revegetation and sedimentation control before a formal vote on the project.