Conservation Commission approves in-law suite addition near Hockamuck Swamp buffer zone

WEST BRIDGEWATER -- January 21, 2025, West Bridgewater Conservation Commission unanimously approves in-law suite addition near Hockamuck Swamp. The commission voted Tuesday to issue a Negative 3 Determination with conditions for a proposed one-bedroom attached addition and new driveway at 387 South Elm Street, finding that minimal buffer-zone disturbance did not require a full wetlands permit. Conservation Agent Tim Hay added a condition requiring a culvert pipe under the new driveway to preserve an existing roadside drainage swale, saying he had "no other issues with the project as proposed." A separate hearing for 506 West Center Street was continued to February 18 by applicant request. In other business, Hay reported West Bridgewater has received a USDA farmlands of local importance designation and described a grant-funded online permitting platform that would cost the commission $5,000 annually in maintenance fees; members indicated support for pursuing the grant. Post-meeting discussion touched on the state's new Accessory Dwelling Unit law, which Hay confirmed allows by-right ADUs on any single-family lot, with members acknowledging the town has not yet worked out the full implications.