Weston Conservation Commission continues pool hearing, citing synthetic turf concerns

WESTON — March 25, 2025 — Weston Conservation Commission continues pool hearing over synthetic turf and tree removal concerns. The commission voted to continue a Notice of Intent for a proposed backyard pool, spa, sauna, and artificial turf play lawn at 47 Young Road to April 8, pending stormwater review, with members including Ellen Freeman Roth questioning whether introducing plastic synthetic turf near a riverfront resource area risks microplastic contamination. Engineer Brian Nelson of Metro West Engineering presented mitigation at a 2.1-to-1 ratio, naturalizing roughly 8,000 square feet of existing lawn, but agreed to research the Forever Lawn product's long-term durability and install boundary markers on the 25-foot no-disturb zone before returning. The commission separately voted unanimously on a routine Keolis commuter rail vegetation management determination and heard from Land Sake Farm that its 2024 harvest of approximately 190,000 pounds — its largest ever — included more than 58,000 pounds donated to hunger relief, even as conservation funding for the farm's programs has remained unchanged since at least 2014.