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Commission issues ORAD for Pollard Middle School parcels after consultants revise wetland flags
Summary
Epsilon Associates presented an ANRAD for 200 Harris and 380 Denim; field checks by staff and consultant clarified stream status (intermittent, not perennial), the commission closed the hearing and issued an ORAD to allow the project to proceed to the Notice of Intent phase with clarified resource boundaries.
The Needham Conservation Commission voted May 7 to issue an Order of Resource Area Delineation (ORAD) following an Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) for two parcels associated with the Pollard Middle School and DeFazio field complex.
Greg Hawkmouth of Epsilon Associates presented the site delineation, showing state and local wetland flags, inland banks and a system of intermittent streams and hillside seeps across the two parcels. Staff and the consultant revisited field flags this spring and adjusted a few boundaries; they found that a reach shown as perennial in the streamstat layer no longer appears as an actively channelized perennial stream at the tennis courts and is better characterized as intermittent. “So long story short, stream status was wrong,” Greg said, describing the team’s field findings and photos of culverts and headwalls.
Commissioners agreed that the revised delineation reduces the regulatory burden associated with a perennial stream designation while noting the importance of more hydrology and soil testing when the project proceeds to the Notice of Intent stage. The commission voted to close the ANRAD hearing and issue the ORAD for 200 Harris Avenue and 380 Denim Avenue; staff will provide the delineation to applicants and record the ORAD with the registry as required.
Commissioners said they expect the project team to submit further hydrology, groundwater table and design details at the NOI phase so the commission can assess constructability and drainage design as development details are proposed.
