Conservation Commission Issues Partial Certificate for Sports Medicine North Building

NEWBURYPORT -- January 6, 2026, Newburyport Conservation Commission issues partial compliance certificate and approves battery storage project at January 6 meeting. The commission voted 5-0 to grant a partial certificate of compliance for 20 Henry Graff Road, the Sports Medicine North Orthopedics building, covering construction and stormwater management but leaving open a phragmites remediation requirement tied to a 2019 order of conditions; the building was sold post-close to national medical-office manager Vitalis. Managing partner Jared Landman acknowledged the three-year oversight: "I needed this probably three and a half years ago because I'm not in compliance and owning a building." Commissioner Julie Gofferson called for input from the current wetland scientist on whether the invasive-control program is worth continuing, saying she would "hate to see people spending money and a lot of man hours needlessly on something that's never going to work." In a separate 5-0 vote, the commission approved a negative 3 determination for NextGrid's lithium iron phosphate battery storage installation at 23 Low Street, with conditions requiring a 32-plant native replanting plan, two-season survival monitoring, and discharge of any dewatering away from the wetland buffer zone. A contested notice of intent for 5 Basin Street was continued to January 20 while both the city and the applicant await updated legal analyses.