Auburn Conservation Commission Issues Order for Southbridge Street Commercial Building

AUBURN -- June 24, 2026, Auburn Conservation Commission advances Southbridge Street commercial project and navigates a DEP appeal standoff at Rockland Road. The commission voted unanimously at its June 24 meeting to issue an order of conditions for Mast Futures LLC's proposed 17,860-square-foot commercial building at 615 Southbridge Street, adding a special condition barring construction within 25 feet of the wetland buffer zone. The body also voted unanimous negative determinations of applicability for two other pending matters: a vegetation management herbicide-spraying program along the Providence and Worcester Railroad right-of-way, conditioned on advance notice to the town and abutters before spraying, expected around mid-July, and a backyard shed project at 19 Nancy Drive, conditioned on erosion control measures. The meeting's longest discussion centered on 47-49 Rockland Road, where an enforcement order for stormwater runoff sits in a legal standstill: abutters' DEP appeal has frozen the applicant's ability to complete the very paving and drainage improvements that would resolve the runoff, and a DEP site reviewer told town staff a conclusion is roughly four months away. Chair Michael Garland said he will contact the DEP reviewer directly and report back at the July 8 meeting.