Conservation Commission Approves 24-Unit Townhouse Project Near Pawtucket Canal

LOWELL — April 9, 2025 — Lowell Conservation Commission unanimously approves townhouse project at long-neglected Payne Street canal site. The commission voted Wednesday to issue an order of conditions for Green Tree Properties LLC's plan to demolish an existing livery depot at 50 Payne Street and construct 24 townhouse-style residential units across three buildings on a 45,764-square-foot lot abutting the Pawtucket Canal. Engineer Matt Hammer of Lamplex Engineering told commissioners the project has already cleared the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals, and that an 8,000-gallon storage tank with a sensor-activated check valve will prevent the development from burdening Lowell's overtaxed combined sewer system during storm events. A special condition requiring a written invasive species mitigation plan was added to the order at the request of Vice-Chair Kevin Dillon. The commission separately voted unanimously to ask city legal counsel to draft standard guidance language for invasive species removal requirements on larger development projects — a policy Chair Brad Buitenhuys framed as a three-to-five year accountability measure that could eventually be tied to certificates of compliance.