Newbury Conservation Commission Closes Hearing on Central Street Wetland Crossing

NEWBURY -- May 19, 2026, Newbury Conservation Commission closes public hearing on Central Street housing wetland crossing, deferring decision to June 2. The commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to shut the record on a proposed MBTA-zoning residential development at 34 Central Street, where the applicant seeks to fill approximately 2,400 square feet of bordering vegetated wetland for a secondary access road, conditioned by the Planning Board as a safety measure. Peer reviewer Heidi Gaffney of Northwoods Environmental flagged that roughly 100 of the crossing's 250 linear feet of roadway discharges stormwater directly to the wetland without pre-treatment, a potential violation of DEP standards. Member Mary Rimmer warned that approving a project that "doesn't meet stormwater standards means we're not avoiding impacts," while member Frank Wettenkamp said he would approve the plan as submitted. Gaffney was directed to draft both an approval and a denial order, with findings, for review at the June 2 meeting, the commission's last opportunity to act within the 21-day statutory window. The commission also unanimously approved an order of conditions for the town's Newbury Town Beach accessibility project, covering seasonal installation of Mobi Mat pedestrian access panels with special conditions including annual photo monitoring and a shorebird protection plan to be finalized by Natural Heritage prior to any nesting-season work.