Ayer Conservation Commission Approves Oak Ridge Addition, Orders Culvert Removal NOI

AYER -- May 28, 2026, Ayer Conservation Commission approves Oak Ridge Drive home addition permit, orders new wetlands filing for culvert removal. The commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve a Notice of Intent for a home addition at 153 Oak Ridge Drive within the 100-foot buffer zone of Flannagan Pond, with special conditions requiring construction material stockpiling outside the 50-foot zone and construction fencing in lieu of silt fence; applicant representative Brandon Ducharme of David E. Ross Associates appeared on behalf of homeowners Heather and Sourik Bhowmick. The board also voted unanimously to issue a positive determination of applicability for an Ayer Department of Public Works culvert removal near Grove Pond off Bligh Street and Pirone Park, finding that the project falls under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and requiring a full Notice of Intent before work can proceed. Conservation Agent Heather Hansen reported that a May 24 site walk found extensive honeysuckle, bittersweet, and knotweed at the culvert site. The meeting was the final one for outgoing Vice Chair Mark Phillips, whom Chair Jessica Geno thanked for his years of service, including helping install waterway identification signs on town ponds.