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Easton commission escalates enforcement across multiple wetlands cases; judge orders Harding to apply for permits
Summary
At its May 26 meeting the Easton Conservation Commission reclassified a longstanding warning to Violation #26‑749 after a site walk at 570 Morehouse revealed tree piles and fill in regulated wetlands, instructed multiple property owners to submit after‑the‑fact permits or remediation plans, and voted to revoke a permit related to tree removal at 125 Rock House Road.
The Easton Conservation Commission used its May 26 meeting to advance multiple enforcement actions involving work in regulated wetlands and upland review areas.
Harding property (570 Morehouse): Chair Dori Wollen reviewed a multi‑year compliance file for David Harding dating to 2021. After a site walk May 2, 2026, WEO staff reported piles of trees pushed into wetlands, evidence of fill and disturbed soils and areas showing skunk cabbage where logging had occurred. Commissioners voted to reclassify the earlier warning to Violation #26‑749, require Mr. Harding to file an After‑the‑Fact As‑of‑Right determination with a signed site plan that shows wetland lines, a soils report from a qualified soil scientist, and a remediation plan. Chair Wollen said the commission will submit its records to the court; Town counsel and First Selectman Dan Lent reported a judge ordered Mr. Harding to apply for the As‑of‑Right and After‑the‑Fact permits and kept the injunction in place, with the case to be revisited in 60 days. The minutes note an outstanding $1,000 fine.
Other cases: The commission reviewed several additional open violation files and follow‑up steps:
- 125 Rock House Road (Hodges/Wynter): The commission heard conflicting accounts from a logging company invoice and a soil scientist. WEO staff say trees were removed within a regulated area. Commissioners voted to revoke Permit #24‑686 for the two‑lot subdivision and required a new planting/remediation plan from a soil scientist and a cash bond before the violation can be lifted.
- 299 Center Street (Greiser): Owner Richard Greiser acknowledged he accepted fill from an unknown source and borrowed machinery to place it on his property; commissioners told him to file an after‑the‑fact application, provide a site plan and remediation plan, and install a silt fence. Greiser reported hiring soil scientist Steven Danzer.
- 22 Buttonwood (Silva/Teixeira) and 76 Northwood (Carrena Management): Both matters remain open. Trumbull officials were reported to have inspected the Buttonwood work and the commission requested written confirmation that remediation was complete. The Carrena matter may be lifted after native plantings or hedges are installed and confirmed by the WEO.
- 11 Eastwood Lane (Musco): Staff located a watercourse on GIS mapping; owners were advised they must file with the commissions before remediation begins.
Why it matters: The actions reflect the commission’s effort to enforce state and local wetland protections, including requiring professional site plans, soils reports and remedial plantings where regulated areas have been impacted. Court involvement in the Harding case underscores the legal consequences the commission may seek when violations persist.
What’s next: Enforcement actions include court follow‑up for the Harding matter in about 60 days, submission of remediation plans and after‑the‑fact applications by multiple property owners, and WEO inspections to confirm required plantings or erosion controls.
