Wilbraham plans ADA sidewalk on Springfield Street; project will impact wetlands and require a replication area

The Town of Wilbraham presented plans to improve the intersection at Springfield Street and Stony Hill Road and to construct an ADA‑compliant sidewalk along Springfield Street. Town project manager Jon Niro (BETA Group) told the commission the work will require clearing vegetation and placing fill in places to create a 3:1 slope along the road to support the new sidewalk.

The minutes record the project will result in approximately 862 square feet of temporary impacts and 1,647 square feet of permanent impacts to Bordering Vegetated Wetlands and the associated 100‑foot buffer. To mitigate permanent impacts, the town will construct a wetland replication area to the east of the existing wetland, add about 12 inches of hydric soils (from the existing wetland or an offsite source), apply a native wetland seed mix, and plant native shrubs and trees. The replication area will be monitored for two years and the town will submit reports to the commission twice a year. The commission found the presentation “very informative and thorough” and voted (motion by Robert McMaster, second by James Coletta) to close the public hearing and issue an Order of Conditions within 21 days.

The Order of Conditions will require the placement of erosion control barriers as shown on the submitted plans to prevent sediment from migrating into the wetland. The minutes do not record a project budget or construction schedule beyond monitoring requirements for the replication area.