Conservation commission issues order with conditions for hotel expansion at 50 Christie's Drive

The Brockton Conservation Commission on Aug. 20 issued an order of conditions allowing a 40‑room, four‑story addition to the 43‑room hotel at 50 Christie's Drive to proceed to the planning board, after consultant reviews and revisions to stormwater and planting plans. The commission's approval included special conditions that prohibit snow storage in the wetland buffer, require conservation markers, and require a preconstruction meeting and a partial certificate of compliance before occupancy.

Why it matters: The project sits adjacent to Lovett Brook and within mapped FEMA Zone A floodplain; the commission's conditions attempt to reduce risk to bordering vegetated wetlands and to ensure stormwater systems function as designed.

Project engineer Scott Faria of HomeGrid Engineering summarized the proposal and recent revisions: “we're looking forward to just getting this approved so we can proceed to the planning board.” Rhianna Summers, the commission’s peer reviewer from Weston & Sampson, told the commission the most recent plan revisions and the applicant’s responses addressed the peer‑review comments, including confirmation that the work is in the buffer only and that there is no work inside the riverfront area. “We feel like based on the most recent plan revisions… that all of our comments have been addressed,” Summers said.

Key technical points discussed: reviewers confirmed the site is in FEMA Zone A (no base flood elevation on the map), and the applicant cited a nearby FEMA Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) showing a base flood elevation of 158.3 feet on an adjacent lot; the applicant reported the lowest elevation of proposed work is about 165 feet, which the reviewer accepted as evidence that additional work would not be below the referenced BFE. Weston & Sampson and the city’s engineer resolved stormwater items including outlet elevations, exfiltration rate documentation, recharge area calculations, and the hydrodynamic separator specification. The commission’s agent recommended conditions including a ban on snow storage in the buffer zone and a required preconstruction meeting with the agent.

Markers, maintenance and monitoring: Kyle, the conservation agent for the city, recommended installing permanent conservation markers along the 25‑foot buffer line for the hotel property and noted the commission would set marker type and spacing suited to a commercial site. He also recommended a partial certificate of compliance be required prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy; his draft condition listed items such as a professional affidavit of compliance with the reference plans, functioning erosion controls, installed conservation markers, and interim site stabilization measures (for example, dormant seeding with protective covering) for winter or non‑growing periods.

Commission action: The hearing was closed and the commission voted to issue the order of conditions with the recommended special conditions. The roll call recorded five ayes and one abstention (Leon Edwards abstained). The order requires the applicant to follow the revised plans and the newly attached special conditions before full occupancy.

What happens next: With the order of conditions recorded, the applicant may proceed to the planning board and must meet the conditions (preconstruction meeting, no snow storage in the buffer, installation of conservation markers, and partial certificate requirements) before the city will issue a final certificate of compliance or occupancy.