Conservation Commission Clears Two Projects, Continues Third

Conservation · Meeting of October 20, 2026

NEWBURY — The Newbury Conservation Commission approved two small Plum Island construction projects and continued a larger riverfront home rebuild hearing pending state review. Chaired by Mary Rimmer, the board, issued a negative determination of applicability for a deck and patio project at 69 Southern Boulevard, with conditions including helical piles and a native planting list. It also approved, 5-0, a notice of intent for an addition at 68 Fordham Way requiring a minimum 1.5-to-1 mitigation ratio for cut vegetation.

Consultant Tom Hughes told the board rotating a proposed pile-supported replacement house near the Merrimack River would cut a conservation-area setback to "1.6 feet," prompting the commission to continue that hearing to November 4 pending comments from the state Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Members also voted unanimously to issue a letter of support for the town's draft Open Space and Recreation Plan, presented by Christina Hoffman of the Open Space Committee.

In the full story:

• Call to Order and Minutes
• Larkin Dam Removal Certificate of Compliance
• 69 Southern Boulevard: Deck, Patio and Native Buffer
• Continued Hearing: Pile-Supported Home Replacement (DEP file 050-1472)
• Notice of Intent: 68 Fordham Way Addition and Deck (DEP file 050-1473)
• Enforcement: Farmview Lane
• Open Space and Recreation Plan: Letter of Support
• Staff Reports and Scheduling
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,428 words

Source: the Conservation meeting of October 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.