Conservation Board Continues Dam, Park Hearings

Conservation Commission · Meeting of February 24, 2026

Groton's Conservation Commission continued hearings on a Squannacook River Dam repair and a Cow Pond Brook Park overhaul while approving two home-project wetlands permits. Engineer Meg Mazinski of Activitas detailed plans requiring about 6.45 acres of turtle-habitat mitigation on a town parcel after state regulators flagged the project as a "take" affecting Blanding's turtles. Member Olin Lathrop pushed to transfer the mitigation land to the commission "under fee" rather than use a conservation restriction, and asked for sunset-based lighting limits instead of fixed curfews.

Commission member Peter A. Morrison, who also serves on the Select Board, said the dam's future depends on a Town Meeting funding article, with a public hearing set for March 3 at the Senior Center; failure, he said, could mean "we're sort of back to... a point where we're going to take the dam down." Both hearings were continued to March 10. The commission also issued a negative RDA determination for knotweed treatment along the MBTA right-of-way and approved wetlands orders for 26 Indian Hill Road and 70 Dale Lane.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Groton's community access TV: Conservation Commission meeting, February 24, 2026
• The complete report: 980 words

Source: the Conservation Commission meeting of February 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.