The Town of Charlton Conservation Commission met virtually (date not specified) and issued multiple wetlands-related determinations, accepted a resource-area delineation (ANRAD), granted a partial certificate of compliance for a solar replication area and continued several hearings to May 14.

The actions affect individual property owners and larger development matters: the commission accepted a delineation for parcels associated with City Depot (ANRAD), granted negative determinations for proposed accessory buildings and driveways at several properties, approved a partial certificate for a solar project's replication area, extended one Order of Resource Area Delineation (ORAD) for three years, and voted that a long-dormant ORAD (DP1281483) will not receive any further administrative extensions after its forthcoming expiration.

Most important decisions

- ANRAD accepted for City Depot-area parcels: After an overview from consultant Glenn Kovoski of EBT Environmental Consultants and discussion of soils, surveys and parcel boundaries, the commission voted to accept the Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) as presented. The applicants for that item included property owner Ron Gauthier; the commission noted the delineation will allow future filing if work is proposed.

- 30 Hill Road: The commission issued a negative determination of applicability (RDA) with conditions related to use of an existing cart path and also issued a positive determination to confirm wetland boundaries. The applicant described the proposal as a 28-by-28-foot barn, a septic system and a well, with access using an existing cart path; the applicant said work would be more than 50 feet from wetlands and in upland areas.

- 6 A Young Road: The commission recommended and voted for a negative determination after staff confirmed the closest point of disturbance (a driveway) is approximately 70 feet from the bordering vegetated wetland.

- 93 Leland Drive (shed): The commission granted a negative determination for placement of a premade shed on an already disturbed, flat area about 20 feet from the bank of the South Charlton Reservoir; the applicant said the shed would rest on crushed stone blocks and be anchored.

- Top/Carpentry Hill Road solar project: The commission voted to issue a partial certificate of compliance for the solar project’s replication area because the replication has not yet completed the full number of growing seasons required by regulations; the solar installation itself was built per plan and on-site reviewers found no construction violations.

- ORAD extension and non-extension votes: The commission approved a three-year extension for an ORAD that was set to expire on May 14. Separately, after a briefing on DP1281483 (an ORAD first issued in 2014 and extended multiple times), the commission voted that it will not extend that ORAD further after its present expiration; staff noted flags on that site will need to be replaced and a fresh field check will be required if the owner seeks new approvals.

Continued hearings and other business

- Multiple hearings were continued to May 14 by unanimous voice vote, including matters at 54 Flint Road (a notice of intent regarding landfill capping), an abbreviated delineation filing (to confirm resource areas), 130 Sturbridge Road, 35 North Main Street and other listed lots where applicants requested continuances.

- The commission indicated Fane Mountain Farm contract paperwork will be handled administratively; no motion was required at the meeting.

Procedural notes and context

Commission staff repeatedly emphasized that some delineations and orders are administrative tools that permit property owners to move forward with permit filings, but that any changes (for example, to access routes that would bring larger vehicles closer to wetlands) would require the applicant to return for additional filings such as a Notice of Intent. For one long-standing ORAD the staff recommended no further administrative extensions after the upcoming expiration because the delineation is more than a decade old and flagged boundaries no longer exist on the ground.

The meeting record shows routine motions were made and approved by voice vote ("Aye"). Individual roll-call vote counts were not recorded in the transcript. The commission adjourned after the listed business was completed.