Riding Trails
At its September 20 meeting, the commission led off with a statement about horses on conservation trails. The commission, said Chairwoman Wendy Sisson, will be working with a group of riders to determine which trails are “most appropriate for riding.” Sisson emphasized that the trails are not now closed to horses, but member George Watkins added a reminder: “Riding off-trail is discouraged, because that encourages erosion,” he noted.
Hearing Continued For Ayer Road 40B
A hearing for the developer who has proposed a 32-unit, 8,000-square-foot project on the former site of Toreku Tractor on Ayer Road was continued to a later date. The hearing was to discuss a detention basin and retaining wall in the wetland buffer zone for one of the buildings on the property. The commission awaits input from the Board of Health.
Old Mill Road Wetland Delineation
Robert Marhefka of Worcester, owner and principal in Pleasant Properties, appeared before the commission with Goldsmith Prest & Ringwall (GPR) engineer Bevlyn Beland to agree upon the location of wetlands on his property at the corner of Old Mill and Ayer Roads. The property abuts Bowers Brook. Marhefka has prepared conceptual plans for a standard mixed-use development, as opposed to a 40B project. His most recent hearing with the Planning Board was in April, where he showed a conceptual plan with 61 identical assisted-living units, and a total of 16,000 square feet of commercial space, probably spread between two buildings. The plan also showed a 73,000-square-foot parking lot. After the hearing, Marhefka said his plans had not changed substantially since April. The commission approved the delineation of the wetland as shown on the map brought in by GPR.
