Groton Conservation Commission Issues Enforcement Order Over Unauthorized Clearing of Trust Land

GROTON -- June 23, 2026, Groton Conservation Commission issues enforcement order to the town's Water Department over unauthorized clearing of conservation land. At its June 23 meeting, the commission voted unanimously to order the Water Department to respond by July 13 with a schedule for commissioning a restoration plan for a parcel near Chickapee Road, known as Walker Cox, where vegetation was cleared and excavated material was stockpiled during a water-line installation project. Representatives of the Groton Conservation Trust attended and backed the enforcement action, noting monitoring had flagged the encroachment since at least December 2025. The commission also granted the Park Commission limited relief from a gate-closure enforcement order at Cowpon Brook playing fields, allowing weekend access through the end of October when a turtle monitor is on-site, ahead of a fall Town Meeting vote on a scaled-back field renovation projected at roughly $4 million. The commission additionally authorized a $14,300 boundary survey of the Hallett Conservation Area and elected John Swinowski as Chair, Ben as Vice Chair, and outgoing Chair Bruce as Clerk, all effective July 1.