Commission Continues Downey Garage Hearing To Nov. 18
The Walpole Conservation Commission voted 4-0 to continue a contested garage permit at 16 Main Street to November 18, after Conservation Agent Landis Hershey said owner Michael Downey filled roughly two feet of former flood-storage area behind his house.
Conservation · Meeting of October 14, 2026
WALPOLE — The Walpole Conservation Commission voted 4-0 to continue a contested garage permit at 16 Main Street to November 18, after Conservation Agent Landis Hershey said owner Michael Downey filled roughly two feet of former flood-storage area behind his house. Downey acknowledged placing fill but said, "I don't think I did anything wrong here," pointing to a state-installed culvert as the real cause of chronic flooding on Countryside Lane. Neighbor Joe Hughes told the commission flooding has plagued the area for 35 years and "it's been exacerbated by him filling this area." In other action, commissioners closed hearings on a 19 Delaney Drive pool and an 11 Comstock Way addition, continued a 13,550-square-foot AVO Fence Co. building at 2160 Route 1 to October 28, and voted 4-0 to spend $3,500 from the Conservation Trust Fund on tree removal near Clark's Pond.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,363 words
Source: the Conservation meeting of October 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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