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Conservation commission okays above‑ground pool at 166 Moreland with strict discharge, dewatering conditions and lifts enforcement order
Summary
Worcester conservation commissioners approved a negative determination for an above‑ground pool at 166 Moreland Street, conditioned dewatering limits (pH 6.5–8.5 and chlorine ≤0.1 ppm on test strips) and voted to lift a prior enforcement order after staff found required restorations in place.
The Worcester City Conservation Commission voted unanimously to issue a negative determination and to lift an enforcement order for 166 Moreland Street after LEC Environmental consultant Rich Kirby described plans for a 16‑by‑32 above‑ground pool, an attached deck and minor grading to level the side yard. Kirby said the project includes straw wattles and other erosion controls, installation of a polyvinyl yard fence and removal of one hazard tree overrun with Asiatic bittersweet.
"The pool is proposed on the side of the house," said Rich Kirby, describing the 10‑by‑16 deck, proposed erosion controls and a plan to restore disturbed soils to lawn. Staff told commissioners the pool and deck are more than 50 feet from the bordering vegetated wetland and therefore qualify as a minor buffer activity under the Wetlands Protection Act, but the project still requires a local filing under the city's Wetlands Protection Ordinance.
Staff recommended conditions to limit impacts and to manage dewatering. "Any dewatering of the pool water shall be directed away from the resource area," staff said, and commissioners agreed to require testing prior to discharge. Commissioners settled on two measurable conditions: pool water pH must test between 6.5 and 8.5 prior to release and chlorine should be confirmed at or below 0.1 parts per million using homeowner test strips or equivalent. The commission also required that discharges be spread across the maximum vegetated area to slow flow and reduce erosion.
Commissioners questioned equipment access for grading; Kirby said only small machinery such as a bobcat would be needed. He added that chlorine dissipates over days when pools are taken out of service and that homeowners can use chemical test strips to confirm levels.
After discussion, the chair moved to issue the negative determination with the described conditions and to lift the outstanding enforcement order. The motions were seconded and carried unanimously: Commissioner Evan Canton (Aye), Commissioner Stuart Kirschner (Aye), Commissioner Lindsay Nystrom (Aye) and Commissioner Fertone (Aye). The commission recorded the outcome as approval with conditions.
The project record includes staff guidance that any dewatering be conducted slowly over vegetated areas and that pool owners retain test‑strip results or other documentation verifying pH and chlorine readings in case of staff follow‑up. The commission lifted the prior enforcement order after staff reported that required restoration plantings were largely established and that the property is vegetated; commissioners noted that lingering administrative follow‑up would be monitored by staff.
