What was said

Conservation Commission, June 21, 2023

the recording · 4:33 long, about 31,574 words spoken · captions carried this meeting moderately well

lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/recording-minutes/conservation-commission/2023.json

The town published an agenda, an agenda for this meeting. No minutes have been published; the recording is the only record, and what follows is a guide to it.

The short version

  1. ▶ 3:53:49The Conservation Commission voted to approve the Lunenburg Water District's Hickory Hills PFAS pilot study with conditions; the minutes record the vote as not audible.
  2. ▶ 2:43:40Residents objected to the Hickory Hills application, citing missing notice to abutters, the owner and deed in the filing, and discharge of water over land into a ravine.
  3. ▶ 15:52The commission approved the Lake Shirley 2023 pre-treatment plan by roll call.
  4. ▶ 1:13:38Most other hearings were continued to July 5, while garage, septic, retaining wall and tree removal applications were approved.
  5. ▶ 4:20:02Mary Wilson was elected chair, and Bob and Mary were authorized to ask the select board in August for litigation authorization over a Chase Road encroachment.

Why it matters — our reading

  • The Hickory Hills pilot is the first step toward federal PFAS treatment funding for the water district, and residents near the site say notice and discharge questions remain open, so the permit may be contested on appeal.
  • Any litigation over the Chase Road encroachment would need select board authorization, so it could become a town legal expense that residents are asked to weigh in on.

Watch next

  • July 5 Conservation Commission meeting, where most continued hearings return.
  • The commission's August request to the select board for litigation authorization over Chase Road.

electionsgrantslegalpersonnelplanning and zoningpublic commenttown departmentswater sewer

Present: Bob Pizza (chair); Rich burst / Richard Tremblay (member); Katie Childs (member); Mike larouche (member); Mary Wilson (member); Rich Birch / Bursch (member); Anna Petrie (conservation administrator); Dominic maringolo (presenter (Solitude Lake Management)); James Tatro (presenter (applicant representative)); Greg Roy (presenter (Dillon Roy)); Tommy Hannah (presenter (Tighe & Bond)); Mark Burch (chairman of the board of water commissioners). Names are the caption model’s hearing and may be wrong.

Votes

  1. ▶ 15:52Approve the Lake Shirley 2023 pre-treatment plan — moved by Mike, as heardpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  2. ▶ 37:11Continue 932 Flat Hill Road NOI to July 5passed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  3. ▶ 55:59Continue 1338 Lancaster Avenue RDA to July 5passed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  4. ▶ 1:13:38Approve Elliott garage NOI at 1155 Mass Ave with condition of markers along the removed pavementpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  5. ▶ 1:25:54Continue 131 Island Road RDA to July 5 — moved by Richard, as heardpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  6. ▶ 1:34:16Approve 292 Sunset Lane tree removal RDApassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  7. ▶ 1:43:10Continue 1074 Lancaster Avenue septic NOI to July 5passed (roll call, votes partly unclear)
  8. ▶ 2:01:50Continue 205 Sunset Lane NOI to July 5passed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  9. ▶ 2:05:58Approve Chapel septic NOI at 222 Hollis Roadpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  10. ▶ 2:06:40Continue Lunenburg skatepark NOI to July 5passed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  11. ▶ 2:17:49Approve Payne retaining walls NOI at 647 Reservoir Road with written narrative condition — moved by Richard, as heardpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  12. ▶ 2:22:12Continue town beach sand RDA to July 5passed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  13. ▶ 3:53:49Approve Hickory Hills pilot study NOI with orders of conditions (erosion notice, weekly updates, amended NOI, updated letter) — moved by Rich Burke, as heardnot audible
  14. ▶ 4:04:13Elect Mary Wilson chairpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  15. ▶ 4:04:57Elect Bob vice chairpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  16. ▶ 4:05:41Re-elect Rich Tremblay clerkpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  17. ▶ 4:06:45Authorize Bob to continue as liaison to the town attorneypassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  18. ▶ 4:20:02Authorize Bob and Mary to approach the select board in August requesting litigation authorization over Chase Road encroachmentpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)
  19. ▶ 4:27:21Extend order of conditions at 90 Hemlock Drive for a year — moved by Richard, as heardpassed (roll call, all ayes heard)

And 1 procedural: adjourn (▶ 4:32:21).

The money

  1. ▶ 4:07:25Conservation grant / engineer procurement

    The chair said the commission has a grant requiring an engineer and procurement steps.

    as heard:80 000eighty thousand dollar

  2. ▶ 4:03:10Soil auger purchase

    The administrator wants a soil auger bought from office supplies; the chair expected it to be inexpensive.

    as heard:200 bucks

  3. ▶ 4:12:37Lot 4 Leominster Road first refusal

    An assessment was estimated to cost several thousand dollars and the land might cost tens of thousands.

    as heard:four to five thousand dollarssixty thousand dollars

  4. ▶ 4:21:48Kelly estate bequest

    A substantial bequest is expected; spending would need select board permission.

  5. ▶ 3:01:54Federal PFAS treatment funding

    The engineer said bipartisan infrastructure law funding exists and the pilot is the first step to seek it.

Settled without a vote

  • ▶ 1:44:39Applicant's representative's skate park hearing to be continued without testimony for two weeks.
  • ▶ 5:30Minutes expected only after the new administrative assistant starts July 10.
  • ▶ 4:20:02Chair and Mary to seek select board authorization in August for litigation over Chase Road encroachment.
  • ▶ 4:10:34Press release on the grant to go to the Lunenburg Ledger and select board.
  • ▶ 4:11:36First refusal on Lot 4 Leominster Road tabled.

Public comment

  1. ▶ 4:44Thanked the chair for his service to the commission. — Dave McDonald, as heard
  2. ▶ 35:05Argued the 932 Flat Hill Road garage does not qualify as redevelopment under the riverfront regulations. — Michael toohill, as heard, abutter, professional wetland scientist
  3. ▶ 48:22Described leaning, dying trees near the house and outbuildings at 1338 Lancaster Avenue as hazards. — Patrick Ryan, as heard
  4. ▶ 1:11:53Supported the Elliott garage project. — James Patton, as heard, executor of the estate abutting to the west
  5. ▶ 2:43:40Said the water district's NOI omitted the property owner, cited the wrong deed, and failed to notify abutters; asked for denial and soil testing. — Joan Pease, as heard, Woodlands trustees' representative
  6. ▶ 2:54:36Asked about the well's effect on lake level and PFAS concentration, and for testing of discharged water. — John Fortune, as heard
  7. ▶ 2:58:27A neighbor of the ravine said the earlier discharge was loud and worried the water department had no permission.
  8. ▶ 2:59:50Asked whether the overland discharge was in the DEP submission. — Barbara turkington, as heard
  9. ▶ 3:00:31Asked about state and federal PFAS testing support. — Dave McDonald, as heard
  10. ▶ 3:06:06Asked about monitoring of tank output, tank size, iron/manganese testing, and DEP awareness of PFAS levels. — Renee emkey, as heard
  11. ▶ 3:11:19Asked whether water is retested before discharge and whether results will be shared. — Jack and Anne Danny Brown, as heard
  12. ▶ 3:19:22Asked how the tank would be delivered through the tight access. — Jack Russell, as heard
  13. ▶ 3:21:19Raised wildlife, noise and ravine overflow concerns. — Jenny Lo Duke, as heard
  14. ▶ 3:36:06Said Woodlands residents were never formally given the NOI. — Andrew Starbucks, as heard

Where the time went

Minutes of recording by subject, from the topic spans below. A topic with two subjects counts toward both.

The whole meeting, in order

  1. ▶ 0:03Opening, roll call, announcements, public commentinformational · 5:27 long · public comment
  2. ▶ 5:47Lake Shirley weed treatment planvoted, approved · 10:43 long · recreation, water sewer
  3. ▶ 16:35932 Flat Hill Road garage NOIcontinued to July 5 · 22:41 long · planning and zoning
  4. ▶ 39:161338 Lancaster Avenue tree removal RDAcontinued to July 5 · 17:03 long · planning and zoning
  5. ▶ 56:191155 Mass Ave garage NOIapproved with condition · 18:23 long · planning and zoning
  6. ▶ 1:14:42131 Island Road tree removal RDAcontinued to July 5 · 11:53 long · planning and zoning
  7. ▶ 1:26:35292 Sunset Lane tree removal RDAapproved · 8:25 long · planning and zoning
  8. ▶ 1:35:001074 Lancaster Avenue septic NOIcontinued · 10:20 long · planning and zoning
  9. ▶ 1:45:23205 Sunset Lane deck relocation NOIcontinued to July 5 · 17:28 long · planning and zoning, legal
  10. ▶ 2:02:51222 Hollis Road septic NOI and skate park continuanceseptic approved; skate park continued · 4:31 long · planning and zoning
  11. ▶ 2:07:22647 Reservoir Road retaining walls NOIapproved with conditions · 14:58 long · planning and zoning
  12. ▶ 2:21:51Town beach sand RDAcontinued · 0:49 long · recreation, facilities
  13. ▶ 2:25:29Lunenburg Water District Hickory Hills PFAS pilot study NOImotion made to approve with conditions; public intends to appeal · 1:32:11 long · water sewer, public comment, planning and zoning
  14. ▶ 3:58:01New business: scheduling, quorum, delineation training, augerinformational · 5:49 long · personnel
  15. ▶ 4:03:51Election of officersvoted · 2:09 long · elections
  16. ▶ 4:06:02Liaison, grant, Leominster Road lot, town attorney, Hemlock Drive extension, reportsvoted on several items; Lot 4 tabled · 26:38 long · legal, grants, planning and zoning
  17. ▶ 4:32:21Adjournmentadjourned · 0:44 long

What the captions could not carry

  • Outcome of the roll call on the Hickory Hills pilot study NOI vote; captions are garbled and a DEP number was noted
  • Roll call on 1074 Lancaster Avenue continuation was partly garbled
  • Mike's vote at some roll calls was not captured

These are ours, and they are not the record

OUR MINUTES OF A RECORDING, written by a language model from machine captions. Two derived layers stand between this file and the meeting. Cite the video at the timestamp, never this file. Figures are as heard and may be wrong; names may be wrong; where the town published minutes, those are the record.

Written 2026-10-12 by scripts/write_recording_minutes.py (sonnet) from sources/data/youtube-transcripts/conservation-commission/2023-06-21-hYOFzs_0Y3M.json — 6,177 caption segments, sha256 9526e0f4709a…. All recorded meetings.

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What changed

Version 15 — updated September 20, 2026