Bellingham Conservation Commission Approves After-the-Fact Wetland Permit at 375 Maple Street

BELLINGHAM -- February 25, 2026, Bellingham Conservation Commission approved an after-the-fact wetland permit at 375 Maple Street over DEP objections and continued four other hearings at its February 25 meeting. The commission voted 4-1 to accept an abbreviated Notice of Intent and a replication planting plan calling for eight white pine trees, rejecting the DEP's recommendation that the estimated 2,500-square-foot disturbance area required a full NOI filing; Steve cast the lone dissenting vote after his motion to follow the DEP failed for lack of a second. A negative determination was issued unanimously for a National Grid utility pole replacement on South Main Street, with representative Nate Goshar of LEC Environmental describing all work as conductable from the roadway. The most complex continued item was 455 Hartford Avenue, where applicant Moshe Atias and engineer Daniel Marikin of Legacy Engineering presented a scaled-down four-bay commercial contractor building; commissioners pressed for deep-sump catch basin structures for oil and salt treatment and signage restricting snow storage near wetlands that drain toward the Charles River. Community members Doug and Chad presented a Community Preservation Act proposal projecting a 1.5 percent surcharge costing the average Bellingham homeowner approximately $68 annually, potentially generating $650,000 in local funds plus state matching contributions, with a citizens petition targeting the May 27 town meeting warrant.