Conservation Commission Unanimously Approves Order of Conditions for 23 Mill Street Project

PEPPERELL — October 3, 2023 — Pepperell Conservation Commission unanimously approves wetlands permit for 23 Mill Street redevelopment. The commission voted to issue an Order of Conditions for a project proposed by Richard Green of 1A Auto Investments LLC that would convert a Mill Street site into an office and research-and-development complex for an online automotive instructional business, with parking and landscaping within a riverfront area bordering wetlands. The approval came one night after the Pepperell Planning Board granted special permits for the same project following a peer review by engineering firm Tighe and Bond, which Matt Hammer of Lamplex Engineering and Surveying said found the submission "an easy review" with all concerns fully addressed. The Order is contingent on Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program approval, incorporation of Natural Heritage conditions, and completion of a soil management plan by a licensed site professional; no construction may begin until a MEPA certificate is issued, with a prefiling conference set for October 11. In a separate matter, Conservation Agent Paula warned that FEMA and USGS have delayed updated Nashua River watershed floodplain maps — now expected in 2024 or 2025 — while mortgage companies have already begun notifying some residents they owe flood insurance premiums.