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Charlton Conservation Commission approves several minor amendments, grants pavement and drawdown requests, continues items needing septic plans
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Summary
The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission on Jan. 28 approved minor amendments for multiple properties, issued a negative determination for paving at the Carpenter Hill substation, and allowed a winter drawdown amendment at Meadow Lake; several residential septic and NOI items were continued for additional approvals.
The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission met Jan. 28 and took action on a string of development and resource‑management requests, approving several minor amendments and permitting determinations while continuing projects still missing septic or disturbance approvals.
The meeting opened with approval of the Jan. 14, 2026 minutes and a continuance: the commission moved DP128‑193835 (North Main Street) to May 27 at the applicant’s request.
In one of the larger items, the commission closed the public hearing on DP128‑1998, a proposal to replace roughly 60 wooden utility structures along Line U‑173 with steel poles between the Carpenter Hill and Snow Street substations. Jim (S5), the project presenter, told the commission the team had addressed prior comments, a consultant conducted a site visit and the project includes a wetland replication plan; Natural Heritage approval remained pending. Chair (S1) closed the hearing and the commission voted to issue order conditions and close the matter.
Engineer Eric Bader, with Topolancer, presented DP128‑2002186, a plan to convert an existing garage on Burlingame Road into a four‑bedroom single‑family home and install a septic system. Bader said the Board of Health had approved the septic layout and state comments were addressed; the commission moved to close the hearing and issue order conditions.
Carmen Dancy, appearing for the New England Power Company, described an RDA for 134 Carpenter Hill Road to pave existing access routes inside the Carpenter Hill substation. Dancy said the work would total about 21,220 square feet of pavement (roughly half an acre) with about 1,742 square feet falling inside the wetland buffer and roughly 300 square feet within the 0–50‑foot buffer; erosion controls and restricted equipment storage were proposed. Staff (S2) recommended a negative determination with conditions and the commission voted in favor.
A King Road NOI (DP128‑2000) for a single‑family house and septic system was presented but staff and commissioners noted the Board of Health septic plan and a land‑disturbance filing were not yet complete; the commission continued the item pending those filings.
The commission considered an amendment to order conditions for GP1281957 at Cranberry/Meadow Lake to permit a winter drawdown of about 11 inches to 1 foot. Staff reported the drawdown measured less than a foot and consulted with DEP; local residents and a participant described long‑standing, controlled drawdown practices. The commission voted to amend the order conditions with appropriate measures and closed the hearing.
On several Sanders Hill Road lots (DP128‑1977, 1978, 1979), staff explained proposed minor amendments that change house footprints but do not increase the approved limit of disturbance. Commissioners raised concerns about whether the parcels meet the town’s two‑thirds contiguous upland bylaw as a separate zoning/enforcement issue; staff advised the conservation commission’s jurisdiction is limited and that the disturbance limits remain unchanged. After debate and cautions about cross‑board enforcement, the commission approved the requested minor‑amendment actions.
For an Oxbow Road site under GP1281939, staff explained that the 3.75‑acre lot sits within a priority habitat and has only about 15,000 sq ft of proposed disturbance. Because there is no available area for conventional stormwater BMPs beyond a driveway swale, the applicant requested a waiver of stormwater peer review. Commissioners discussed the policy change that exempts minor disturbances from peer review and, given the site constraints and limited proposed work, voted to grant the waiver.
Administrative items included certificates of compliance carried forward and notice of an upcoming conservation commission appointment. The meeting adjourned after motions to close and routine sign‑offs.
Votes at a glance - Approve minutes (Jan. 14, 2026): motion carried (voice vote). - Continue DP128‑193835 (North Main Street) to May 27: motion carried (voice vote). - Close hearing and issue order conditions for DP128‑1998 (Carpenter Hill line replacement): motion carried (voice vote). - Close hearing and issue order conditions for DP128‑2002186 (Burlingame Rd garage→home): motion carried (voice vote). - Negative determination (with conditions) for RDA at 134 Carpenter Hill Road (substation paving): motion carried (voice vote). - Continue DP128‑2000 (King Road) pending Board of Health septic approval and land‑disturbance filing: motion carried (voice vote). - Amend order conditions GP1281957 (Meadow/Cranberry Lake) to allow winter drawdown ~11 inches–1 foot: motion carried (voice vote). - Approve minor amendments for DP128‑1977/78/79 (Sanders Hill Road): motion carried (voice vote). - Waive stormwater peer review for Oxbow Road GP1281939 given site constraints: motion carried (voice vote).
Who spoke (selected) - Chair (S1): regular meeting chair, led motions and votes. - Staff member (S2): conservation staff/agent, provided regulatory guidance and recommendations. - Committee member (S3): regular commission member, asked procedural and bylaw questions. - Eric Bader (S4): identified himself and said he was with Topolancer; presented the Burlingame Road conversion. - Jim (S5): project presenter for DP128‑1998 (first name only in transcript). - Carmen Dancy (S6): identified herself and said she appeared for the New England Power Company. - Resident/participant (S7): local participant who described lake drawdown practices.
Context and next steps Items continued for additional filings — notably DP128‑193835 (North Main Street) and DP128‑2000 (King Road) — will return when applicants provide required Board of Health septic approvals or land‑disturbance permits. Approved order conditions and waivers will be accompanied by the usual conservation commission conditions and are subject to permit compliance and any applicable state agency review.
The reporting above uses direct statements from speakers in the meeting transcript; where a speaker gave only a first name (for example, “Jim”), the article uses that name as presented in the record.
