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Bellingham conservation commission approves limited 25-foot buffer waiver for Blackstone Street improvements
Summary
After extended debate, the commission approved a limited waiver allowing revised Blackstone Street stormwater work within parts of the 25-foot wetland buffer, conditioned on the revised plan set and future orders to be drafted by staff.
The Bellingham Conservation Commission voted June 24 to approve a limited waiver allowing part of a detention-basin slope and related stormwater work for the Blackstone Street project to remain within the town’s 25-foot wetland buffer, contingent on the revised plan set submitted in June and on draft orders and conditions to be prepared by staff.
Commission member James moved to reconsider a prior denial and to approve the waiver for the work shown on the plan set submitted to the commission; the motion carried by roll-call vote. Commission members who voted in favor included Nicole, Don, Arian, Steve, James and Pam.
The applicant presented revised grading that keeps the basin’s internal volume unchanged but changes the exterior slope from the higher standard to a steeper 3:1 slope; the change pulls the bottom of that slope farther from flagged wetlands. Staff reported the revision reduced two impacted 25-foot-buffer areas previously described in the applicant’s waiver memo: one area adjacent to wetland flag C14 of approximately 695 square feet and a second area of about 1,593 square feet. The applicant and staff estimated the revision reduced the total previously proposed buffer disturbance by roughly 30%.
Commissioners pressed for specifics about stormwater performance, emergency overflow elevations, and long-term maintenance. The applicant said basin storage capacity and outlet structures remain unchanged, and that emergency overflow features are provided; staff confirmed erosion-control limits of work would be shown on the plans. Several commissioners said the revised drawing set was a substantive effort but noted remaining concerns about whether the change represented a true mitigation or a shift of impacts between lots under common ownership.
Commission members also discussed the legal and practical consequences of denial — including the applicant’s stated option to shrink the basin and send more runoff to the road — and potential town maintenance obligations if the project were altered. The commission directed staff to draft orders and conditions consistent with the approved plan set and continued the item to its July 8 meeting to review those documents.
The commission’s action specifically referenced the revised plan pages stamped with the June 2026 revisions; the approval is limited to the work as shown on that plan set and includes the planting and restoration commitments noted by the applicant. The hearing remains open for finalization of orders and conditions at the next meeting.
