Conservation Commission signs off on plans for two new developments on Main Street

The Conservation Commission signed off on two development prospectuses during its meeting Thursday night. Both development prospectuses were represented by Michael Connors of Connors & Connors LLP.

The first prospectus is located at 995 Main St., a former overflow parking lot at the corner of Main Street and Prospect Hill Road. The proposed use for the lot is the construction of a Service Credit Union building. 

The project requires a special permit acquired through City Council because there is a planned drive-through lane with an ATM facility. All commissions and boards need to sign off on a special permit development prospectus. The commission voted to allow conservation agent Julia Abbott to sign the prospectus because it is out of the commission’s jurisdiction.

The second prospectus is located at 70 Marketplace Drive. Cava Group Inc., owners of the Cava restaurant chain, is petitioning to occupy a newly constructed building on the site. Sweetgreen Inc. has also petitioned to occupy the site, though it is unclear which restaurant will ultimately be in the building. The area is zoned for fast food use and is previously developed. The commission determined the area to be outside of their jurisdiction and authorized Abbott to sign the prospectus.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved a notice of intent for the removal and reconstruction of stairs and a retaining wall as well as the construction of a second retaining wall and expansion of an existing parking area at 32 Riverview Ave.
• Approved a notice of intent for the demolition and reconstruction of a single-family home at 339 Bacon St. The newly constructed house will feature a stormwater mitigation system and an erosion sediment control system to prevent run-off and debris from entering a nearby brook.
• Approved a certificate of compliance for a memorial, chipping range and disc golf area at 190 to 282 Trapelo Road. The project did not happen, so the certificate of compliance is a formality to close out the project.
• Continued discussion of a request of determination of applicability for an underground stormwater management system installation and repaving of an existing parking area at 153 Second Ave. The applicant is going to discuss the project with the City of Cambridge due to the project’s proximity to the Cambridge Reservoir.
• Approved a certificate of compliance for the replacement of a culvert over Beaver Brook on Trapelo Road. The applicant installed the recommended improvements including the addition of woody shrubs to the area.
• Created a committee to discuss use of a $50,000 grant from the Community Preservation Committee. The grant was intended for creating a forestry management plan at the Robert Treat Paine Estate, but that project hasn’t come to fruition yet. If there isn’t a possibility of use for the money, the commission plans to give it back to the CPC.
• Elected commission officers for the 2027 fiscal year. The commission will keep all officers as is, with Bill Doyle as the commission chair, Lisa Limoncello as the vice chair, Gerry Dufromont as the secretary and Anja Shafer as the CPC liaison.