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Commission releases restoration bond for Havens Brook property after staff review
Summary
After reviewing a long-running vegetation and restoration file tied to a Route 5 property (identified in the transcript as 'I Am the Walrus LLC'), the commission voted to release the bond following consultant and staff reports and discussion of adaptive management and plantings.
The Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission voted to release the restoration bond for application A18-1.2801 (North Connelly Road / Beaumont Road, Havens Brook) after hearing from consultants and staff about vegetation work and adaptive management at the site. The matter has been under commission review for several years and commissioners discussed whether plantings and maintenance actions merited returning the bond.
A presenter for the project said New England Veil (the property owner) "seem[ed] willing" to trim perimeter invasives and hire periodic maintenance to keep the planting areas from reverting to dense knotweed and box elder growth. A consultant noted the restoration has increased biodiversity since work began and said, "we have only about 5% of Japanese knotweed" remaining and that the team had established saplings and trees. After discussion the commission made and passed a motion to release the bond, noting staff will continue to monitor maintenance commitments.
Provenance: This item was discussed in the reports/violation section of the agenda and concluded with a formal motion to release the bond.
