Panel Approves Unitil Substation After Pushback

Conservation · Meeting of October 21, 2026

LUNENBURG — The Lunenburg Conservation Commission approved Unitil's plan for a new substation and utility pole replacement at 934 Massachusetts Avenue on a 5-0 vote at its October 21 meeting. Engineer Ting Chang told the commission the utility had cut wetland impacts by more than 5,100 square feet since May, bringing total permanent and temporary disturbance to under an acre. Resident John Mara of 102 Leominster Road testified that invasive species and standing water have accumulated along the utility's right-of-way for more than a decade, saying "the right-of-way is actually delineated with galvanized pipe starting at the ancient wall and goes down to West Street" but has gone unmaintained.

Conservation Agent Herlin Jaime confirmed the state issued an environmental certificate October 9 requiring no further review. The commission also voted unanimously to send the Cowdery Nature Center's redesigned ADA trail plan to the Planning Board.

In the full story:

• Call to Order and Minutes
• Pollinator Habitat Update
• 392 Sunset Lane: Retaining Wall RDA
• 134 Peninsula Drive: Septic System Replacement
• 0 Falulah (134 Crawford Street): Notice of Project Change
• Cowdery Nature Center: ADA Trail and Parking Redesign
• 934 Massachusetts Avenue: Unitil Substation and Pole Replacement
• Routine Hearings, Continuances and Compliance Items
• Enforcement: 1168 Mass Ave Rear
• New Business: 2027 Schedule and Trail Signage
• Old Business: Hollis Road Property and Committee Reports
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,570 words

Source: the Conservation meeting of October 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.