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Commission urges state dam safety office for update on 170 Mill Street; continues review to April 13, 2026
Summary
Commissioners said repeated attempts to get updates from the state Office of Dam Safety (DCR) about longstanding issues at 170 Mill Street have gone unanswered and voted to continue the item while staff seek a response from DCR engineer Emily Caruso.
Members of the Gardner City Conservation Commission pressed for a formal update from the state Office of Dam Safety about an ongoing matter at 170 Mill Street and agreed to continue the item to allow staff time to escalate their request.
Commissioners said the matter has been open for years and that prior attempts to get substantive responses from the Office of Dam Safety — specifically engineer Emily Caruso — have produced little or no progress. One commissioner said the commission could escalate the request to the mayor and the governor if necessary and that "no update is not an answer." The commission directed staff to reach out again to Caruso and to document the commission’s request in writing.
The commission voted to continue review of the 170 Mill Street item to April 13, 2026 in hopes of obtaining a clearer schedule for remediation or state action; the transcript records the motion and a second and indicates the motion passed by voice vote but does not show a roll-call tally.
Why it matters: Commissioners expressed concern that the state agency charged with dam safety oversight has not acted on a previously provided corrective timeline and that the lack of updates leaves local officials uncertain about the site’s safety and next steps.
What’s next: Staff were asked to re-contact the Office of Dam Safety (DCR) and to push for a written update on required work and timelines; the item remains on the commission calendar for April 13, 2026.
