Littleton Conservation Commission Issues Deck Order, Delays Well Decision Pending State Review

LITTLETON -- February 20, 2024, Littleton Conservation Commission closes deck hearing, waits on state for water well order. The commission voted unanimously at its February 20 meeting to issue an Order of Conditions and waiver for a replacement deck at 18 Porter Street, accepting a buffer-zone restoration plan from Michael Simula of Sustainable Property Group that calls for removing invasive bittersweet by excavator and replanting the disturbed area with native trees and shrubs, with commissioners pushing the invasive-monitoring period from two growing seasons to three and requiring large rocks rather than fencing as a site barrier. The body also unanimously issued a Certificate of Compliance for a completed retaining wall at 69 Matawanaki Road and voted to send a letter of support for the town's Open Space and Recreation Plan. A continued hearing on the larger Littleton Electric Light and Water Department well-connection project at Wickham Avenue and Taylor Street, which involves removing 58 trees and proposes planting 12 replacement trees at a separate parcel at 74-76 Wickham Avenue, was pushed to March 19 after engineer Tara McManus of Weston and Sampson confirmed that a response from the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, expected to include a turtle protection plan, had not yet arrived despite months of review.