Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the New Boston Bridge topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Woburn agrees to reissue bridge permit and waives local no‑disturb rule for New Boston Street replacement
Summary
City and consultants described the New Boston Street bridge replacement and wetlands impacts; commission granted a waiver of the 25‑foot no‑disturb zone, reviewed mitigation (3:1 replication) and closed the public hearing before issuing an order of conditions.
The Woburn Conservation Commission on June 27 reviewed a refiling for the New Boston Street bridge replacement and granted the city’s request to reissue the order of conditions after the applicant missed the administrative extension filing.
Jay Quarry, Woburn’s city engineer, told the commission he had neglected to file the required extension letter and asked the commission to reissue the order because the contractor has been off-site and no activity is expected until late July. Quarry said the project team had re-notified abutters and did not expect problems from the lapse in the permit timeline: “Somehow, that got passed me,” he said.
VHB consultants Josh Conradi and Dan Cannata reviewed the bridge alignment and environmental impacts. Cannata summarized impacts to three resource areas and was specific about small, localized impacts: conversion of approximately 29 square feet of vegetated wetland to land-underwater with a proposed 3:1 replication adjacent to the area; about 36 square feet of daylighting; and an increase of roughly 842 square feet of land under water associated with culvert work and the new outfall. Cannata also described erosion- and sediment-control measures and a commitment to minimize incidental discharges during construction.
Commissioners debated disturbance limits and whether to allow work within a local 25‑foot no‑disturb zone. One commissioner moved to waive that local 25‑foot restriction where it was previously requested; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The applicant then asked to close the public hearing; the commission moved to close and the matter advanced to the business portion of the meeting.
At business the commission voted to issue the order of conditions for the New Boston Street bridge replacement as drafted. The reissued order and waiver permit the city to proceed with the limited, described impacts provided the applicant follows the mitigation, replication and erosion-control requirements recorded in the order.
Next steps: the applicant will proceed with required mitigation and monitoring detailed in the reissued order of conditions; staff will continue to oversee compliance during construction.
