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Record of Proceedings

Lee Conservation Commission Meeting Summary: October 21, 2026

Selectboard & Town Boards — Wednesday, October 21, 2026
BodyLee, Massachusetts
SessionSelectboard & Town Boards
DateWednesday, October 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 51:47

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Good evening.

0:01

Welcome to the October 21st meeting of the Lee Conservation Commission.

0:06

I am here by informing all attendees that a video and audio recording is being made of this meeting.

0:13

First on the agenda is the meeting leading minutes from October 7th.

0:18

Any edits, questions, concerns.

Unassigned speaker

0:23

I

Speaker 2

0:23

did not read it this week.

0:24

Hopefully somebody else did.

0:26

So

Unassigned speaker

0:28

I

Speaker 1

0:29

thought they were fine.

Speaker 3

0:33

I'm sorry.

0:34

I blew

Unassigned speaker

0:35

it.

Speaker 2

0:44

Don't threaten me with a good time.

Unassigned speaker

0:49

I

Speaker 4

0:49

make a motion we accept the meetings as written outside in October 7th, 2026.

0:56

Oh,

Speaker 2

0:59

Danny.

1:03

Right?

1:03

I mean you have enough votes to pass them, right?

1:05

Okay.

Speaker 5

1:06

We understand them to me.

Speaker 2

1:07

I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

Speaker 5

1:08

You can do whatever you can.

Speaker 2

1:10

I'm just gonna sit there.

Speaker 1

1:15

Oh boy, is she in a mood?

1:17

Okay.

1:19

Okay, any correspondence?

Speaker 5

1:21

That's the one I handed you for a little bit of the table.

Speaker 1

1:25

Yeah, Elizabeth couldn't.

1:26

Could you pass the could you pass that over?

Speaker 6

1:30

Where do I recognize that name from?

Speaker 3

1:31

Because she's everywhere and there's a wetness.

1:34

She represented who do you which one did she represent?

Speaker 2

1:37

Up on Goose Pond?

1:40

She is the district's attorney

Unassigned speaker

1:42

for

Speaker 2

1:42

Goose Pond.

Speaker 3

1:43

No, no, no, no.

1:45

Oh, one of the uh Dunley.

1:48

Dunley, right?

1:49

Yes.

1:49

She represented the hearse.

1:53

No, I thought it was the Navy schedule.

1:55

Yeah.

1:56

That's what I thought.

1:57

And she also represented um Peter.

2:02

Naventi.

2:04

She did.

2:05

Yes, she did.

2:06

Isn't she involved in that?

2:07

Yeah.

2:07

After the the gentleman.

Speaker 1

2:11

She was involved.

Speaker 3

2:12

Anyway.

Speaker 1

2:13

I remember that now.

2:16

Any public comments.

Unassigned speaker

2:19

You

Speaker 2

2:19

have anybody

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████████████27%
Environmental Protection███████████████████████████27%
Energy Regulation██████████████14%
Procedural███████████11%
Floodplain Management███████7%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Zoning and Land Use████4%
Real Estate Acquisition████4%
Affordable Housing█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Lee Conservation Commission Meeting Summary: October 21, 2026

The Lee Conservation Commission convened on October 21, 2026. The meeting included the approval of prior minutes, continuances for two Notices of Intent (NOI), and a preliminary discussion on potential local bylaw amendments to the Wetland Protection Act.

Consent Calendar

  • The meeting minutes from October 7, 2026 were approved as written.

Discussion Items

  • Notice of Intent: I 90 Route 720 and 102 Road Maintenance: Commissioners reviewed special conditions for routine road maintenance, drainage work, and culvert cleaning. Concerns were raised about the timeframe for the commission to respond to project category changes. Members expressed that an automatic approval or very short deadline is unfavorable for a volunteer board. The item was continued to the next meeting.
  • Notice of Intent: 165 Whosatonic Street (Marriott Hotel): The project involves the construction of a new 3-4 story, 69-room, 13,235 square foot Marriott Hotel. The applicant requested a continuance to address findings from Commissioner Dave Cameron's report. The item was continued.
  • Proposed Local Bylaw Amendments (Tabled from Formal Action):
    • A commissioner proposed amending local bylaws to close gaps in the Wetland Protection Act regarding intermittent streams, isolated vernal pools, and small land subject to flooding. The commissioner argued these changes protect drinking water and prevent storm surge damage, citing nearby examples where human interference has exacerbated flooding.
    • Concerns Raised: Other commissioners expressed significant concerns about the fairness of enforcement, the complexity of the appeal process, creating unenforceable regulations, and the potential for the board to be used in neighbor disputes.
    • Proposed Path Forward: A commissioner successfully advocated for a focused, single-issue approach, specifically suggesting starting with a bylaw to protect vernal pools, an area historically treated as protected by the board without a formal bylaw. The commission informally agreed to pursue this incremental approach.
  • State Consolidated Permitting Update: The commission received an update on the state's new consolidated permitting process for clean energy projects. Commissioners voiced skepticism regarding state-level review of local zoning and conservation board decisions.
  • Other Updates: The commission received brief updates on a new town trolley for the 250th anniversary, a potential solar project on Route 102, and upcoming site visits.

Key Outcomes

  • Meeting Minutes from October 7, 2026 approved.
  • I 90 NOI (Road Maintenance): Continued to November 4, 2026.
  • 165 Whosatonic Street NOI (Marriott Hotel): Continued to November 4, 2026.
  • Bylaw Discussion: Formally tabled. Informal consensus to develop a specific bylaw focusing on vernal pool protection.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:52 PM.
  • Next Meeting: Scheduled for November 4, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Welcome to the October 21st meeting of the Lee Conservation Commission. I am here by informing all attendees that a video and audio recording is being made of this meeting. First on the agenda is the meeting leading minutes from October 7th. Any edits, questions, concerns. I did not read it this week. Hopefully somebody else did. So I thought they were fine. I'm sorry. I blew it. Don't threaten me with a good time. I make a motion we accept the meetings as written outside in October 7th, 2026. Oh, Danny. Right? I mean you have enough votes to pass them, right? Okay. We understand them to me. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. You can do whatever you can. I'm just gonna sit there. Oh boy, is she in a mood? Okay. Okay, any correspondence? That's the one I handed you for a little bit of the table. Yeah, Elizabeth couldn't. Could you pass the could you pass that over? Where do I recognize that name from? Because she's everywhere and there's a wetness. She represented who do you which one did she represent? Up on Goose Pond? She is the district's attorney for Goose Pond. No, no, no, no. Oh, one of the uh Dunley. Dunley, right? Yes. She represented the hearse. No, I thought it was the Navy schedule. Yeah. That's what I thought. And she also represented um Peter. Naventi. She did.

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