Boxborough Conservation Commission Closes 975 Mass Ave. Hearing, Sets December Vote

BOXBOROUGH — November 19, 2025 — Boxborough Conservation Commission closes hearing on 975 Mass Ave. commercial project and extends Enclave restoration deadline. The commission voted unanimously November 19 to close the public hearing on a proposed eight-unit building trades rental facility at 975 Mass Ave., with engineer Limhut Tiv of GPR winning provisional support for a waiver allowing grading to enter the 100-foot wetland buffer to accommodate the project's septic breakout slope — the alternative being an 80-foot-long, 10-to-12-foot-tall concrete retaining wall. The commission imposed a five-year monitoring requirement on the 1,200-square-foot wetland replication area, longer than the town's standard two-to-three years, citing concern that highway runoff from Route 111 could compromise establishment. An order of conditions is expected December 3. The board also unanimously extended the Enclave subdivision's order of conditions to December 12, 2027 — two growing seasons — after Toll Brothers representative Ted Merchant confirmed site work is complete. Separately, land steward coordinator David Barnett and conservation staff presented a framework for a Suasco Watershed Program grant application, focused on Patch Hill's severe bittersweet infestation, with a December 19 deadline and typical awards in the $1,000 to $2,500 range.