The Conservation Commission expects to continue its public hearing on the proposed Thorndike Place 40B development project on Thursday, February 1. Check the Con Com website for the final agenda and Zoom registration information.
In summary, the hearing will review the Notice of Intent (NOI) under the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act (WPA) received from Arlington Land Realty, LLC, the owner/developer of the site. The NOI describes work within the FEMA 100-Year Floodplain / Bordering Land Subject to Flooding (BLSF), as well as within the Buffer Zone to Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW). Mitigation measures are proposed to compensate for the impacts to these resources.
The public hearing began in September and has been continued several times while the Conservation Commission solicited peer review consultants to supplement its own analysis of two specific portions of the NOI. Hatch has been hired to review the Stormwater Report and Management Plan to determine whether it complies with the Massachusetts Stormwater Standards. SWCA is reviewing the Thorndike Place Planting Plan for compliance with the performance standards for restoration work in designated zones and whether the plan will enhance wildlife habitat conditions
In addition, ALT retained Scott Horsley, a hydrologist with more than 30 years of experience in evaluating water resources projects, to review the NOI and other documents relating to stormwater management. His report and other materials related to the NOI hearing are posted on the Commission’s Thorndike Place web page.