Commission finalizes invasive-species amendment for Town Meeting floor
Open Space Preservation Commission unanimously endorses invasive-species amendment for road projects. Chair Freddie Gillespie will move the amendment on the Town Meeting floor April 11, requiring roadside construction work to comply with MassDOT invasive plant management standards, use certified
Open Space Preservation Commission · Meeting of April 9, 2026
SOUTHBOROUGH — Open Space Preservation Commission unanimously endorses invasive-species amendment for road projects. Chair Freddie Gillespie will move the amendment on the Town Meeting floor April 11, requiring roadside construction work to comply with MassDOT invasive plant management standards, use certified weed-free imported soils meeting NAISMA standards, and use MassDOT-recommended native seed mixes. The town is planning work on 30 miles of roads, creating significant risk of Japanese knotweed and other invasive infestation without preventative controls; a Hudson project treating 15,000 square feet of invasive species cost $25,000.
The commission finalized draft native plant and invasive species management language for presentation to the Planning Board April 27.
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Source: the Open Space Preservation Commission meeting of April 9, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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