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Boxborough conservation commission conditionally approves Beaver Brook declarations, clarifies public access and parking
Summary
The Boxborough Conservation Commission gave conditional approval to declarations of restriction covering multiple Beaver Brook parcels, requiring SVT sign-off and marking changes to allow public access, limit parking to two spaces and prohibit on-site compost/stockpiles.
The Boxborough Conservation Commission on a voice vote conditionally approved declarations of restriction for multiple parcels at the Beaver Brook site and moved to finalize a separate declaration for a portion of lot 13.2 (open-space area D), contingent on agreement by SVT and insertion of several edits requested by commissioners.
Commissioners began by confirming which parcels the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program conservation management permit (NHESP permit) and an associated grassland management plan cover, and asked staff to attach or reference a completed plan to the conservation-restriction paperwork where appropriate. Members said they want the grassland management plan available during the subsequent conservation restriction (CR) process even if it is not fully finalized for the declaration exhibit.
A primary focus of the discussion was public access and trails. One draft explicitly granted the general public passive-recreation access; an alternate copy forbade entry. After comparing versions and the sketch plan, commissioners agreed the declaration should allow public access and trail construction for passive recreation and emergency-vehicle access, but only with prior written approval of the grantee and in accordance with the NHESP permit and the grassland management plan.
The commission also clarified parking and motorized-vehicle language. Members proposed and agreed on a concise, parcel-specific parking allowance: parking of no more than two vehicles within about 25 feet beyond the gate on the south side of the access road (the commission asked staff to insert language locating the parking 'just inside the gate' to avoid referencing turnarounds on other parcels).
Commissioners discovered a compost/stockpile area on the parcel (visible in the field and in aerial imagery) that current draft language could inadvertently permit. Members instructed staff to move stockpiling and composting of outside materials into the declaration’s prohibited acts section or otherwise explicitly prohibit it to prevent continued dumping or expansion.
David moved that the commission accept the declaration for lots 16, 17A and parcel A at the park at Beaver Brook, subject to SVT’s approval of the edits. The motion passed on a voice vote. Later the commission moved and approved, again conditionally and subject to SVT approval, acceptance of the declaration covering the portion of lot 13.2 known as open-space area D, with instructions to produce a marked-up copy reflecting the parking and prohibited-use edits.
The commission asked staff to ensure consistent parcel naming throughout the document (for example, using the defined term 'premises' correctly) and to supply a marked-up version for final sign-off. Commissioners also noted that Campanelli (the property owner/developer) and their contractor, Ecote Tech, are responsible for working with NHESP on the grassland management plan.
What’s next: staff will produce the marked-up declaration that incorporates the commission’s edits (parking location and two-space limit, explicit prohibition of off-site compost/stockpiling, consistent parcel naming) and circulate it to SVT for approval before final execution.
