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Commission approves administrative remediation and as-of-right maintenance for Purdy Hill swale; owners asked to coordinate
Summary
After inspections found a man-made drainage swale cleared of vegetation and sediment moved between neighboring lots, the commission approved administrative remediation for 83 Purdy Hill and an as-of-right maintenance permit for 75 Purdy Hill; the commission emphasized proper erosion controls and a one-step remediation-then-planting approach.
A drive-by inspection uncovered a cleared, man-made drainage swale and bare-soil disturbance at 83 Purdy Hill Road; staff determined the area functions as an intermittent watercourse subject to wetlands regulations. Evidence suggested the adjacent property at 75 Purdy Hill had used machinery to dig out sediment and place the material on banks of the swale.
Christiana Petroscu, one of the 83 Purdy Hill owners, described extensive garbage and unsafe debris found on her property when they purchased it ("around 27 tires" among other items) and said initial site cleanup focused on removing hazards. Petroscu said she did not excavate the basin with machinery and asked for guidance on removing invasives and stabilizing the swale in a way that protects water flow and prevents sediment from re-entering the system.
Staff proposed a two-track approach: an administrative remediation plan for the disturbance at 83 Purdy Hill including shrub and tree plantings and seeding with a conservation mix, and an as-of-right permit for 75 Purdy Hill to perform routine maintenance removal of sediment on its property subject to erosion controls, silt fences and immediate replanting. Commissioners approved the administrative remediation path for IWV-2026-10 and asked staff to coordinate with both owners, require post-disturbance stabilization and to prepare an as-of-right maintenance permit that both owners can rely on going forward.
