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Sherborn commission continues hearing on 28 Lake Street lawn and driveway expansion
Summary
The Sherborn Conservation Commission continued a Notice of Intent hearing for 28 Lake Street after hearing a proposal to expand lawn and driveway within the 100‑foot wetland buffer; the applicant proposed tree and shrub plantings, stormwater measures and stone bounds as mitigation and requested a site visit. The hearing was continued to April 4, 2026.
Co‑Chair Michael Lesser opened a public hearing on March 5 on a Notice of Intent for 28 Lake Street, where the applicant proposes expanding lawn and driveway within the 100‑foot buffer to bordering vegetated wetlands.
Anthony Gee, a wetland scientist with Goddard Consulting, said the property is “approximately one acre with an existing single‑family home, patio, pool, driveway, and lawn areas located at the rear of the lot.” The proposal calls for 1,976 square feet of lawn expansion and 102 square feet of driveway expansion within the buffer and the removal of seven trees.
As mitigation the applicant proposed replacing the removed trees with nine trees and 45 shrubs within a 7,300‑square‑foot restoration/enhancement area, planting 16 eastern arborvitae along the new lawn edge, installing permanent stone bounds to prevent future expansion and creating an infiltration basin for stormwater from the patio and pool (the basin would be located outside the 100‑foot buffer). The planting palette listed native species including red oak, white pine, sugar maple, rhododendron, witch hazel, sweet pepper bush, spice bush and sweet fern.
Commissioners questioned the proposed mix of native species versus cultivars and asked staff to clarify which portions of the lawn expansion lie inside the buffer. Co‑Chair Lesser noted concern about nearly 2,000 square feet of new lawn within the buffer and said the issue required a careful site inspection.
Because snow prevented an immediate site visit, the Commission scheduled a field inspection and — at the applicant’s request — voted to continue the hearing to April 4, 2026. The continuance passed by roll call vote, 5–0.
Next steps: the Commission will conduct a site visit, and the applicant is expected to provide any additional clarifications or revised plans in advance of the continued hearing.
