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Wakefield Board of Appeals continues 50.5 Parkway hearing after engineers request more groundwater testing
Summary
The Wakefield Board of Appeals continued the hearing on the 50.5 Parkway development to June 24 after town engineering and an abutter raised questions about groundwater mounding and the lateral extent of peat lenses; the applicant agreed to perform additional test holes and provide the results to staff.
The Wakefield Board of Appeals voted on June 10 to continue the hearing for the 50.5 Parkway development to its June 24 meeting so engineers can complete additional subsurface testing related to stormwater and groundwater concerns.
Chair Tom Lucy opened the meeting and turned the technical discussion to Bill, the presenting engineer, who said field test holes on the site showed a mix of fill materials and inconsistent occurrences of peat. Bill told the board he is comfortable using elevation 81 for the groundwater table based on his fieldwork and comparison with nearby test results, but he said additional borings are needed to determine the lateral extent of any peat lenses and to complete groundwater-mounding calculations.
Sean Smith, representing abutter R.J. Kelly, urged the board to require clearer site-specific testing and documentation before finalizing the stormwater design. Smith said assumptions in the applicant’s submittal could understate risks if the site’s horizontal infiltration is restricted, which would increase mounding, and he asked that technical findings be exchanged in writing and discussed with the town engineer and the applicant’s engineer.
Bill said the applicant used a conservative static design method and that the proposed treatment technology — described in the record as a turret collection/treatment system used on a nearby project — provides phosphorus and total suspended solids removal based on third-party testing the presenter reviewed. He also noted the town typically requires an operation and maintenance plan for such systems.
After discussion, the applicant agreed to perform additional test holes (the applicant indicated the work could take a half day and involve roughly four or five borings) and to coordinate scheduling with town staff. The board moved and seconded a continuance to June 24, 2026, to allow staff time to review the additional data; the motion carried by voice vote.
The board also approved the minutes of May 27, 2026, and adjourned the meeting. The applicant and the town engineering staff were asked to provide completed test results to staff in writing and to notify the board if testing is completed before the next meeting.
