The Open House Preservation Fee Thursday night time mentioned the steps that must be taken for the city to just accept an open house land donation from a photo voltaic vitality developer.
Matt Accardi, a undertaking developer at Agilitas Vitality, spoke in regards to the situation of an earthen dam on a 39.51-acre parcel of open house that the corporate intends to donate to the OSPC. Agilitas accomplished building of its photo voltaic photovoltaic array at 69 Frankland Street earlier this 12 months and must finalize the donation of this land earlier than it might get hold of a certificates of occupancy from the city.
As a way to get hold of a particular allow and web site plan approval for its photo voltaic photovoltaic array, Agilitas agreed to put aside a portion of the property to be used as open house by a nonprofit city entity. Accardi stated Agilitas additionally intends to position a conservation restriction on the land, with the Hopkinton Space Land Belief (HALT) because the beneficiary “to additional safe it as open house.”
He famous the presence of the earthen dam, which is simply too small to fall beneath state regulation. It’s about 7.5 toes excessive and 300 linear toes. It beforehand had been utilized by the Liberty Mutual insurance coverage firm to create a pond there for auto crash testing.
Since final month’s assembly, Accardi retained Lenart Consulting Providers to examine the dam’s situation. David Lenart, the proprietor, is an engineer who has been performing dam testing and engineering for about 40 years in western and central Massachusetts.
As a way to deliver the dam to a “protected and operable situation,” Accardi stated Lenart made 9 suggestions. They included the event of a proper operations and administration plan, mowing grass and vegetation at the least semiannually, repairing the spillway and clearing its entrance from particles, and establishing slope erosion safety measures on the upstream slope. A rusty display on the inlet construction additionally must be changed.
Accardi requested in regards to the subsequent steps he must take as a way to get hold of the certificates of occupancy. He questioned if the OSPC might settle for the land donation contingent upon Agilitas being accountable for the mandatory dam restore work.
He careworn that Agilitas might carry out the upkeep work if it had been thought-about a part of an current upkeep and operations plan. In any other case, the corporate would incur extra prices, and it will take longer to finish. He requested for the OSPC’s help when the undertaking goes earlier than the Conservation Fee.
Chair Ed Harrow, who is also a Conservation Fee member, requested why the dam doesn’t fall beneath the state’s jurisdiction. Accardi defined that it doesn’t maintain again sufficient water or “pose threat to the downstream neighborhood” to benefit state designation.
Harrow added that Annual City Assembly is only some weeks away, when the approval of the donation can be determined.
Member Jane Moran recommended that the OSPC contemplate an order of circumstances with its approval requiring that Agilitas completes the work.
Member Steve Levandosky famous that that is the acceptance of a present. When the OSPC seeks City Assembly approval to buy land, the vote normally is undertaken with the understanding that the city will “iron out the main points.”
Joe Clark, the Choose Board’s OSPC liaison, stated the City Assembly article speaks to accepting the land. The acceptance then would authorize the Choose Board to authorize the actions being mentioned.
Added Clark: “From what I’m seeing, it’s a very simple sure at City Assembly.”
The fee then voted unanimously in favor of accepting the land.
The homeowners of a house at 61 Winter Road appeared earlier than the fee to elucidate the circumstances behind their constructing a stone wall in entrance of their property that could be encroaching onto OSPC land.
In December 2024, Harrow advised fee members he believed the wall encroached onto land beneath the OSPC’s jurisdiction. The OSPC accredited hiring a surveyor to find out the property boundary. Harrow additionally met with HALT president Morrie Gasser, city counsel and the householders final week to debate the scenario on the web site.
Home-owner Susan Turner stated that the earlier wall had been “completely demolished” when a dump truck crashed into it.
“What we did as residents and sensible individuals is we needed to rebuild the wall,” she defined. “In any other case the entrance garden can be out within the street, continually being washed away.”
She added that the wall was rebuilt two toes again of the unique wall’s footprint. She supplied members with a packet containing photos.
Mentioned Turner: “No matter you resolve, we’re going to comply,”
Her husband, Chris, talked about that the person who constructed the wall, Ed Scott, additionally was on the onsite assembly. He requested Scott then the place he constructed the wall. The reply, Chris Turner stated, was “the place it began.”
Moran requested if there have been photos of the earlier wall earlier than it was destroyed. Susan Turner stated didn’t have them, however one could also be out there on Google Maps.
“My interpretation of our concern as a fee is just not in regards to the nice size of the wall,” stated Harrow. “It’s: Does it prolong in entrance of our property? I feel we’re happening a rabbit gap at this level.”
The difficulty will likely be revisited later this month when Gasser is on the market to debate it.
