Commission approves Boston College utility relocation at 150 Howard Gleason Road with conditions and variance

The Cohasset Conservation Commission voted unanimously to issue an Order of Conditions and a variance for work at 150 Howard Gleason Road, a utility replacement project for the trustees of Boston College.

Scott Morrison of VHB and Dan (professional engineer of record) told the commission the project will install a new underground water line and an electrical and telecommunications ductbank along the existing driveway, following a constrained alignment to avoid a sewer and a gas line. The team said the work will require some rock removal and that most disturbance falls within the 100-foot buffer zone and portions of the site are in the coastal floodplain.

Commissioners pressed the applicants on technical constraints, including required 10-foot horizontal separation from the sewer and the need for concrete encasement where vertical separation cannot be maintained. Commissioner Steve Magnell asked about crossings and cover; the applicant said where 18 inches of vertical separation cannot be achieved the water line will be concrete-encased for at least 10 feet at crossings.

The commission expressed concern about tree loss in the buffer zone. The applicant’s inventory identified 11 trees likely to be removed within the 100-foot buffer (mostly eastern red cedar, plus several larger specimens). The commission and staff required mitigation: at least 11 native replacement trees (one-to-one where feasible), with deciduous trees at least 2–3 inches in caliper and conifers 6–8 feet tall, to be selected from the commission’s approved planting list and coordinated with the conservation agent.

On timing, applicants said the water department asked that the new water line be active by September; commissioners and staff agreed to a seasonal restriction for work within land subject to coastal storm flowage to avoid November–May excavation in the flood-prone lower driveway. The commission also required erosion controls, staking of limit-of-work, and daily measures (road plates or crushed-stone backfill) to keep the driveway passable for emergency vehicles.

Chair Chris McIntyre moved to close the public hearing and issue the Order of Conditions with the read-in and site-specific conditions. The commission voted 5-0 to approve the order of conditions and later voted 5-0 to issue a variance allowing the proposed work within land subject to coastal storm flowage and the 50-foot coastal buffer as shown on the approved plans.

Next steps: the applicants must satisfy the commission’s special conditions (staking, erosion-control installation and agent inspections), coordinate tree replacement with the agent during construction, and secure any additional local approvals required before work begins. The commission will monitor compliance and required restoration after construction.