Hubbardston Conservation Commission Issues Wetland Ruling, Continues Birches Road Home Hearing

HUBBARDSTON -- July 7, 2026, Hubbardston's Conservation Commission closed one wetland case and amended a second enforcement order at its July 7 meeting. The commission voted unanimously to issue a negative-three determination under the Wetlands Protection Act for a property owner identified as Colton, who removed storm-damaged pine trees near a farm pond buffer zone; the ruling means no notice of intent is required. On a separate long-pending case at 20 Cruz Road, the commission ratified its standing enforcement order with an amendment striking the notice of intent requirement and allowing property owner Jared Harder to instead file a request for determination of applicability, a less burdensome process Harder prepared with MassDEP contact Maryanne Depinto; a public hearing on the RDA is set for August 4. The commission also continued the notice of intent hearing for a proposed single-family dwelling on a Birches Road parcel, a case roughly two years in the making, to August 4 after scheduling a site walk for July 13 at 4:30 p.m.; engineer Trevor Fletcher of Grabs Engineering presented engineered flood-zone calculations showing the proposed home sits approximately 18 feet above the calculated flood elevation in a FEMA Zone A area.