Conservation Commission overrides applicant, picks lower-cost peer reviewer for School Street townhouses

WAYLAND — January 10, 2024 — Wayland Conservation Commission overrides developer, hires its own preferred peer reviewer. The commission voted 7-0 Wednesday to retain hydrogeologist J. Matthew Davis to review groundwater modeling for Windsor Place LLC's 12-unit townhouse proposal at 24 School Street, rejecting applicant Chris D'Antonio's push to hire the more expensive Peter Shanahan after the developer's engineer acknowledged contacting Shanahan directly in December. Abutter George Bernard called the contact improper based on his federal contracting experience; resident Michael Wiggins urged the board to pick "the lowest responsible bidder." Member Luke Legere said the contact "concerned" him but did not amount to a formal conflict. In the same meeting, the commission closed a hearing and issued an order of conditions for cap repairs on the South Landfill at 471 Boston Post Road, and voted 7-0 to submit a town meeting warrant article banning second-generation rodenticides on town-owned property.