Conservation Commission - October 28th, 2026 | Westford, MA

The Westford Conservation Commission met on October 28, 2026. Its main procurement-related action concerned the Dayfield agricultural RFP: commissioners discussed correcting acreage and other inconsistencies, clarifying the lease term and early-termination provisions, and adding details on electricity use, access, irrigation, and permitted fertilizers and pesticides. The Commission voted to have staff revise the draft and send it to the Agricultural Commission for review and recommendations before the Conservation Commission revisits it on November 12. No RFP was issued and no vendor or lessee was selected. For Hill Orchard, members discussed that the town has spent about $7,000 annually in recent years and that soil testing could cost a few thousand dollars, but favored deferring testing and pruning until a manager is selected. Staff will seek Town Counsel’s guidance on agreement options and lease duration; the current maximum was described as six years, with longer terms potentially requiring Town Meeting action.

Other spending-related items included a pending consultant peer review for a wetland delineation: three proposals had been received, and staff planned to confirm the lowest responsive and responsible proposal, then communicate the cost and issue a notice to proceed. Commissioners also asked staff to follow up on a chimney-repair quote and obtain estimates for a building demolition; no awards or spending approvals were made. The Commission approved special conditions for an Applewood Construction project and continued several other private construction hearings, but these were regulatory decisions rather than town contract awards.