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Wayland Conservation Commission continues review of proposed church redevelopment at 169 Rice Road amid stormwater and habitat concerns
Summary
The commission continued the St. Philopater Mercurius & St. Mina church redevelopment hearing to March 25 to allow review of revised plans after consultants and abutters raised concerns about stormwater, loss of trees, habitat fragmentation and a construction timeline that may exceed permit duration.
The Wayland Conservation Commission on March 4 continued its review of a proposed redevelopment at 169 Rice Road after consultants, commissioners and nearby residents raised concerns about stormwater management, tree loss and impacts to habitat connectivity.
The project, filed by St. Philopater Mercurius & St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church (DEP file no. 322‑1053), calls for demolition of an existing church and construction of three new buildings, parking surfaces, a courtyard, a sports field and stormwater systems within the 200‑foot riverfront area and the 100‑foot wetland buffer. Commission staff said the Planning Board issued a final decision Feb. 13 and the applicant subsequently submitted revised planting and buffer plans.
Marta Nover, the commission’s wetlands consultant, repeated earlier recommendations that the commission wait to review final plans because coordination with the Department of Public Works on driveway access could prompt additional revisions. Nover also flagged a planning complication: the applicant’s construction timeline is five years while an Order of Conditions typically expires after three years, a mismatch she said may require extensions or a new filing.
Commissioners pressed the applicant on several fronts. Commissioner Lisa Aubin and others asked whether a three‑space parking reduction would affect occupancy, and whether stormwater peer‑review comments had been addressed. Commissioner Luke Legere encouraged the applicant to further reduce work within the riverfront area; Vice Chair Shannon Fischer said she worried the project was “out of scale” for the site and could fragment wildlife habitat through forest clearing and additional impervious surfaces.
Applicant representatives said they made plan changes to comply with allowable limits in the riverfront and to reduce impacts. Shaun Landon of Studio DSK Architects said the revisions included a smaller parking area; counsel Jonathan Silverstein added that parking standards and occupancy are not within the Conservation Commission’s jurisdiction and that the applicant believes the project meets applicable performance standards. Project engineer Sean Malone of Oak Consulting Group said the stormwater system was designed to ensure post‑development runoff would not exceed current conditions.
During public comment, Dennis Murphy, an attorney for nearby condominium owners, said Planning Board conditions still require additional revisions to final plans, raised stormwater concerns and asserted the project would remove more than 500 trees, arguing replacement plantings may not satisfy town tree‑preservation standards. Magued Barsoum, representing the church, and engineer Sean Malone responded that the stormwater design was reviewed by a peer reviewer and that the applicant believes it complies with bylaws.
After discussion, Commissioner Luke Legere moved and Commissioner Lisa Aubin seconded a motion to continue the hearing to March 25, 2026, to allow staff and peer reviewers to evaluate revised plans; the roll‑call vote was 7‑0 in favor.
The commission did not take a final vote on the merits of the project; it continued the review to await final plans and any DPW‑related changes. The hearing is scheduled to resume March 25.
