Cohasset Conservation Commission Closes 88 Doane St. Enforcement Case with Driveway Variances

COHASSET — March 19, 2026 — Cohasset Conservation Commission closes 88 Doane St. enforcement case, tables tree removal, and drops membership warrant article. Chair Chris McIntyre led the commission to four unanimous 4-0 votes resolving the long-running driveway matter at 88 Doane St., issuing an Order of Conditions and two variances for owner Adam Norman after wetland scientist John Zimmer of South River Environmental certified that the revised mitigation planting plan — expanded to include native species along the driveway and in a lower basin — met the commission's requirements; Conservation Agent Charlotte Pechtl drafted special conditions requiring trees to be set 10 to 15 feet from the driveway and plantings installed "as quickly as practicable" after paving. A tree removal request from Steve Callahan at 70 and 74 Black Horse Lane was continued to April 2 after commissioners pushed the applicant to increase the native-tree replacement ratio from 2-to-1 to at least 3-to-1 — possibly 4-to-1 — after a pointed exchange over whether undocumented insurance concerns should factor into a wetland resource decision; member Sanji Fernando said flatly, "There's nothing in our regulations that say we have to help people out with their insurance." The commission voted 5-0 to withdraw a proposed Town Meeting warrant article that would have reduced board membership from seven to five, citing concern that a quorum of three would be insufficient for complex applications.