The Report charts the Town’s progress on identified goals for ecological land management and sets a timeline for accomplishing them.
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Mugar Hearing Set for Feb 1
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.
2023 Annual Meeting, January 23, 2024
The Board of Directors of the Arlington Land Trust is pleased to invite you to join the 2023 Annual Meeting in person on Tuesday, January 23 at 7 pm. As usual, we will elect Board members, hear a brief Treasurer’s report, and provide updates on the proposed Thorndike Place development on the Mugar property and other local conservation projects.
We will meet in the Back Room of the Donut Villa Diner, 319 Broadway in Arlington Center. Light refreshments and beverages will be provided beginning at 6:45 pm.
Our guest speaker this year is David Santomenna, Senior Director of Land Protection at Mass Audubon. He will present the organization’s statewide vision for land protection with a focus on the Nature in the City program, the urban component of that vision. Launched in 2022, this program envisions a Massachusetts where all city residents—no matter their race, income, ability, spoken language or lived experience—have access to greenspaces that bring them joy, connect them to the natural world, and address the effects of climate change. The program is being piloted in four cities—Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, and Fall River—with plans to expand over the coming years.
Given the increasing prevalence of Covid and flu cases, we request that you take precautions before attending this meeting by testing, wearing a mask, or just staying home if you have any symptoms. Thank you.
2023 Program – Nature in the City
The Arlington Land Trust held its 2023 Annual Meeting in person on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, in the Back Room of the Donut Villa Diner in Arlington Center
Our guest speakers this year were David Santomenna, Senior Director of Land Protection at Mass Audubon, andStacey Beuttell, Senior Director for Nature in the City. They described the organization’s statewide vision for land protection with a focus on the Nature in the City program, the urban component of that vision. View their slide presentation.
Launched in 2022, this program envisions a Massachusetts where all city residents—no matter their race, income, ability, spoken language or lived experience—have access to greenspaces that bring them joy, connect them to the natural world, and address the effects of climate change. The program is being piloted in four cities—Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, and Fall River—with plans to expand over the coming years.
Mugar Hearing Continued to Feb 1
The Conservation Commission had planned to continue its public hearing on the proposed Thorndike Place 40B development project on Thursday, January 18, but two peer review reports have not yet been received. The hearing is now scheduled for February 1. Check the Con Com website for the agendas 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: a review of the Stormwater Report and Management Plan to determine whether it complies with the Massachusetts Stormwater Standards; and a review of 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. At its November 16 meeting, the Conservation Commission voted to hire Hatch to review the stormwater plan and SWCA to review the planting plans.
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.