Scituate Conservation Commission Closes Four Hearings, Sends Julian Street Plans Back

SCITUATE -- April 15, 2026, Scituate Conservation Commission closed four public hearings and continued two others at its April 15 virtual meeting. The commission approved orders of conditions for 20 Ridge Hill Road, where consultant Brad Holmes of ECR presented a home-reconstruction plan for Jeff and Emma Lawson that includes two mitigation planting areas covering roughly 2,900 square feet and relocation of storage containers out of the 50-foot wetland buffer; members added conditions requiring a short native grass species replace turf between the driveway and the wetland line, and that an existing shed be moved out of the Bordering Vegetated Wetland. At 30 Standish Avenue, the commission voted 4-1 to close and issue for owners Christopher and Catherine McCourt, whose revised plan from Kennedy Gardens now includes just over 1,200 square feet of native coastal plantings and a deck disturbing only nine square feet of ground. A Negative Determination 2 was issued for 248 Central Avenue, where owner Dennis Donovan is replacing storm-damaged beach stairs with a 30-to-35-foot retractable aluminum gangway ramp on two new piles. The 25 Julian Street minor modification was continued after members found the submitted plan missing pile locations and stair details, with engineer Paul Lauderback of Merrill Engineers agreeing to resubmit a corrected, shaded plan. The meeting closed with a memorial tribute to Howard Matthews, the commission's longtime trails volunteer, who died the previous week at nearly 90 years old, with the commission discussing naming a trail, possibly at the recently acquired Dish Pan property, in his honor.