Southwick Conservation Commission Issues Erosion Orders, Tables Mountain Road Shoreline Hearing

Conservation · Meeting of July 6, 2026

Southwick Conservation Commission ordered emergency erosion controls at a Congamond Lakes island property and cleared hazardous tree removal at a Silvergrass Lane home during its July 6 hybrid meeting. The board voted unanimously to require new owner Nick Blaze of 25 Island Way to install a double reinforced silt fence within 10 days and submit a formal erosion remediation plan — either an RDA or NOI — within 30 days, after commissioners determined the recently cleared island hillside was actively losing material to wave action; a site visit was set for July 8 at 5 p.m. At 6 Silvergrass Lane, the commission issued a negative determination for removal of seven hazardous trees, with conditions prohibiting stump excavation inside the 50-foot buffer zone.

A handicap-accessible ramp hearing for the Crepes Tea House at 157 Feeding Hills Road was continued to July 20 pending helical pile depth and diameter specifications, with one commissioner warning the ramp could "become a torpedo" in a floodplain event without adequate anchoring. The commission also renewed its Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions membership at $395 and approved a $50 renewal for a staff professional membership, up from $20.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,969 words

Source: the Conservation meeting of July 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.