After enforcement order, contractor removes illegal fill at Tras Road; commission keeps oversight and asks for survey

The commission received an update on ongoing enforcement action at 26 Tras Road after staff and consultants documented large-scale fill placed in a vegetated wetland and buffer area without permits.

Nicole Ferrara of LEC Environmental told commissioners that contractor crews had removed the recently placed fill (about 20 dump-truck loads) and provided photos of progress and post-removal stabilization. Consultants reported encountering an older, coarser fill horizon beneath the newly placed material; aerial imagery suggests that older fill predates the current owner (who bought the property in 2020). Ferrara said removal stopped upon encountering the older layer and that testing results would be checked for any concerns.

Staff and the building department will require a survey plan showing revised wetland boundaries and existing site features; the enforcement order remains active while the owner completes required surveys, removes residual soil adjacent to tree trunks and places erosion-control blankets and stabilization plantings. Building and zoning staff are also reviewing unpermitted structures (a pavilion/cabana) that may require separate permits or after-the-fact filings.

A neighbor, Nicholas Wah, told the commission he had not seen previous owners alter the back property in his 15 years on the street and said removal and a restoration plan were welcome. Commissioners said restoration plantings and verification of the wetland boundary will be needed before the enforcement can be closed.

The commission continued the enforcement item and set follow-up steps for survey, lab review, and documentation of restoration plantings and stabilization measures.