Conservation Board Closes Smith Street Housing Hearing
The Chelmsford Conservation Commission voted 4-0 to close its hearing and issue an order of conditions for CHOICE's 40B housing project at 1 Smith Street, with member Marc Gibbs recused as an abutter and David McLachlan abstaining.
Conservation · Meeting of July 14, 2026
CHELMSFORD — The Chelmsford Conservation Commission voted 4-0 to close its hearing and issue an order of conditions for CHOICE's 40B housing project at 1 Smith Street, with member Marc Gibbs recused as an abutter and David McLachlan abstaining. CHA Consulting's Donald Rose told the board the Zoning Board of Appeals already approved the comprehensive permit and that the applicant accepted a two-to-one tree replacement condition for any trees lost near a planned recycling area. The commission separately approved $251.91 in reimbursement to Eagle Scout Desmond Wetzel for a completed Thanksgiving Forest footbridge, calling the Trex-decked, railing-free redesign "very well done." Members voted unanimously, 6-0, to authorize up to $4,500 for Oxbow Associates to continue purple loosestrife beetle monitoring and invasive-plant removal at Warren-Pohl Reservation, where a June survey found beetles "hosting feeding adults" on 16 percent of sampled plant clumps.
Two other wetlands hearings, for a Seventh Avenue project and New England Power Company transmission lines, were continued to July 28. The board also issued two certificates of compliance and bid farewell to departing member Alexandra Hayden.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,499 words
Source: the Conservation meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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