Shrewsbury Conservation Commission Approves Lakeside Drive Deck, Continues Three Development Hearings

SHREWSBURY — June 16, 2026 — Shrewsbury Conservation Commission continued three development cases to July 21 while approving one wetlands determination and two compliance certificates at its June 16 meeting. The commission issued a negative determination for Edward and Andrea Mello of 76 Lakeside Drive, allowing a deck replacement and hot tub installation to proceed with conditions including straw wattles during excavation and a prohibition on draining chemically treated water toward the adjacent lake. Wildlife biologist Dan Wells of LEC Environmental presented a vernal pool amphibian protection plan for GoVenture Capital Group's mixed-use project at 525 Boylston Street, describing a pitfall-trap-and-relocation system targeting wood frogs and spotted salamanders during a mid-March migration window; the case was continued pending resolution of MassDEP comments on a 401 water quality certification, formal vernal pool certification, and the applicant's planning board reapplication scheduled for July 9. A 270-unit mixed-use project at 331–335 Maple Avenue by Spectacular LLC was also continued after commission members pressed engineer Brad Johnson of Bowler Engineering on salt in stormwater, wildlife curb crossings, and a pending Graves Engineering peer review response. The commission declined to modify two special conditions in its Route 20 widening order after MassDOT requested removal of a bylaw reference and changes to site-access language, with the chair stating the vote should stand.