10/09/2025 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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Town of Mashpee Conservation Commission 16 Great Neck Road North Mashpee, MA 02649 standards, including allowances for off-site mitigation adjacent to the development, which is permitted under current regulations. With that consensus established, the project team began detailed design for the bog and wetland restoration. Mr. Woody explained that the updated Master Mitigation Plan—now before the Commission—outlined all restoration areas, conceptual wetland designs, and supporting documentation. As summarized by Mr. Woody, the project proposes 191 square feet of Bordering Vegetated Wetland (BVW) impact, associated only with a stormwater pre-treatment area along Quinaquisset Avenue, intended to intercept and treat road runoff at the Town's request. In addition, there will be 746 square feet of impact to an Isolated Vegetated Wetland (IVW), for a combined total of 937 square feet of wetland impact. In contrast, the mitigation plan proposes 5.24 acres of wetland restoration, involving the removal of existing active cranberry bogs and their conversion back to natural wetland systems. Additional mitigation includes 6,000 square feet of new wetland replication created by removing old bog dikes and golf cart paths, and 27,000 square feet of buffer revegetation surrounding those areas. The buffer restoration will include conversion of bog roads and relocation of an existing golf tee box to an already disturbed site, which will enable full hydrologic reconnection of the Quaker Run stream corridor. Altogether, these actions total nearly six acres of restored and enhanced resource area, substantially exceeding regulatory requirements. Mr. Woody emphasized that the mitigation ratios exceed all minimum standards by three to tenfold, depending on the category. For example, riverfront restoration exceeds the required area by approximately three times, buffer restoration by ten times, and wetland replication by three and a half times relative to impact. He concluded by noting that both MEPA and DEP had expressed support for the project's approach, and that tonight's presentation was intended to update the Commission and confirm that the applicant's team is proceeding in the right direction before continuing development of the final restoration plan. Mr. Woody then turned the presentation over to Michael Soares to explain the restoration plan in greater detail. Discussion on MEPA Process and Dual Notice of Intent Filings The project team emphasized that they are investing significant time, effort, and financial resources into the permitting process, which includes an intensive and costly series of reviews under various state and federal regulations. These include MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act), Chapter 91 due to the excavation related to the bog restoration, water quality certification, and Army Corps review. They requested confirmation from the commission that the project aligns with their expectations so that they can proceed confidently into the next stages of permitting. The team explained that the Notice of Intent(NOI) would remain open until MEPA completes its review and grants approval. Only after MEPA approval would they return to the commission, potentially once or twice depending on the board's preference, to seek closure of the NOI and the issuance of an Order of Conditions. This would formalize the project's environmental compliance pathway. Chair Cook then referenced a letter from MassDEP that required the applicant to file two separate NOIs one for the construction of the twelve residential units and another for the bog restoration. The representative confirmed this, noting that the plans presented that evening were specific to the residential component. The second NOI, which will detail the ecological restoration work, will be filed later. DEP preferred this dual-filing approach because while MEPA views the project holistically, DEP classifies the bog restoration as a distinct ecological restoration project. The current NOI therefore covers the residential development and includes a conceptual mitigation plan tied to the future restoration. Once MEPA concludes its review, the second NOI will be filed to address the restoration's detailed design elements. The team hopes to submit that second filing before MEPA's final closure to maintain momentum.