Pepperell Conservation Commission Continues Scotch Pine Farm Hearing to April 6

PEPPERELL — March 16, 2021 — Pepperell Conservation Commission advances Scotch Pine Farm hearing and questions Sucker Brook dam removal. The commission continued a notice of intent hearing for civil engineer Jack Vesniewski, representing applicants Michael and Donna Quintel, who are seeking approval for two two-family dwellings, driveways, and septic systems on lots 7A and 7B within the 100-foot wetland buffer zone at Scotch Pine Farm, with the continued hearing set for April 6. The commission also surfaced active debate over the planned removal of the Kise Parker dam on Sucker Brook, a project the Division of Ecological Restoration and Trout Unlimited have advanced through preliminary design at a cost estimated at approximately $75,000, with one member stating, "I'm not convinced removing the dam is for the best." No formal notice of intent for the dam project has yet been filed, and members agreed to circulate monitoring data before further deliberation. The commission also discussed a floating kayak-and-canoe launch from Easy Dock, quoted at approximately $5,400 and potentially funded through Nashua River Watershed Association wild and scenic stewardship funds that must be spent this year, with members agreeing to visit the site before committing to a design or location.