Shrewsbury Commission Approves Connector Road Borings, Continues Subaru Dealership Review

SHREWSBURY -- May 14, 2026, Shrewsbury's Conservation Commission cleared five wetland determinations and advanced a town connector road study at its May 14 meeting. The commission voted unanimously to issue a negative determination allowing the Town of Shrewsbury to conduct geotechnical borings, up to 10 soil borings over two to three days, along the planned alignment of a new road connecting Green Street and South Street, conditioned on a hydraulic cleanup kit being on site and submission of future soil test pit locations before that work begins; Town Engineer Justin Richardson said the project stems from a Housing Choice Grant and land conveyed by the Pulte developer. The commission also issued negative determinations for a sunroom addition at 10 Hill Street, a septic-to-sewer conversion and tree removal at 395 South Pensacola Avenue, an after-the-fact sewer tie-in at 45 Bayview Drive, and a tree removal and trimming at a lakeside property, each with tailored conditions including native species replanting and erosion control. A lengthy presentation by McCarty Engineering on a proposed 50,000-square-foot Patrick Subaru dealership at 957 Boston Turnpike, involving 120 square feet of wetland fill and a new box culvert crossing, was continued to June 16 after commission members raised unresolved questions about snow storage near wetlands, road salt infiltration into stormwater basins, and tree clearing for a rear stormwater facility. The commission also voted unanimously to send a formal letter to the Select Board recommending wildlife crossing signage on South Street near the DPW garage, following the deaths of two beavers that had been living in a wetland complex managed with a flow-through beaver deceiver device.