Politics & Government
Fat Cactus Wetlands Matter Still Pending
The conservation commission may consider fining Fat Cactus for wetlands infringement if the situation is not resolved in a timely fashion.
The attorney for the Fat Cactus restaurant on Route 1 was unable to attend a scheduled conservation commission hearing last week on an enforcement order to end customer parking in an area that buffers adjoining wetlands.
An issue that has been before the commission since at least March of this year, the restaurant has filled an area next to the restaurant for parking that is protected as wetlands.
An enforcement order to halt parking in the contested area was issued to the Fat Cactus, but they have yet to comply with it or address the problem at scheduled meetings with the conservation commission.
“We hear from their lawyer at the last minute every time he has to meet with the commission,” said Conservation Agent Betty Adelson at Wednesday night’s meeting. “He calls with excuses and this is the third time. He said he was on vacation, and couldn’t make it,” she said.
Adelson suggested that they put a $300 fine on the business for each day of the infraction going back to the date the enforcement order was issued last spring.
“We should ask Tom (attorney Tom Mullen, town counsel) to write a letter to this guy and explain the situation and the action we will take if he will not make these scheduled meetings,” Ms. Adelson said.
The enforcement order goes back to March of this year. It was placed on the business because the owners expanded their parking area by spreading gravel into a bordering vegetated wetlands (b.v.w.) area. That b.v.w., is an area immediately adjacent to the wetlands next to which the restaurant’s building stands.
The enforcement order was issued when the commission learned that the Fat Cactus restaurant had expanded its parking lot area by filling the b.v.w. area between the restaurant and adjacent wetlands.
The commission decided to have attorney review the situation and take action on it.
More On Meadow Walk
During a review of how the phase of the Market Street retail project has changed, the Lynnfield Conservation Commission (LCC) responded to information about traffic flow, parking and gross floor space changes to the Meadow Walk - Market Place plans of which some on the commission were not aware.
At a meeting to introduce the phase changes and how the developer plans to implement them into the plan, several commission members learned that the planning board had approved the plan changes in February of this year.
The changes will not affect the outcome of the revised plan as National Development builds the project, or its effect on the wetlands on which it will be built.
As a quick review, National Development had the changes approved by the town’s planning board in February this year. The one to two lance changes and reduction in retail floor space to 275,000 from 390,000 feet and number of parking spaces reduced to 1875 was settled last winter.
Drainage and flow calculations had changed and have been reconfigured to meet the new designs and continue to meet and exceed the design’s expectations.
Eagle Scout Discusses Plan With Commission
Michael Welter, an Eagle Scout who has developed a plan for walkway at Partridge Island, brought his project to the commission’s attention where they approved his plans, and encouraged him to continue with his work.