Shining Rock Development's wetland destruction

It's pretty well known that Fred Ruland's Shining Rock Development, LLC has had its share of conflict with the MEPA, Upton's Conservation Commission and the Conservation Commission of Northbridge. Until recently, some of the specifics have been somewhat lesser known. Let's break through some of the clutter.

According to information uncovered at a recent Con Com meeting in Northbridge, an applicant wishing to develop land in Massachusetts (Shining Rock Development, LLC)is responsible for identifying wetlands within the proposed development, then incorporating plans for maintaining the wetland in their overall site plan. What happened in Shining Rock Development, LLC's case is simple - they failed to identify the wetland and subsequently destroyed it.

Following in their established pattern of ignore, deny, blame someone else, ignore, deny, blame.... you get the picture - Shining Rock Development, LLC now is up against a deadline imposed by the MEPA. At some point in October, certain work must be completed to restore the wetland Shining Rock Development, LLC failed to identify and then destroyed. Failure to meet this deadline presumably results in significant fines to Shining Rock Development, LLC.

Armed with the background, now read some highlights of meetings with the Northbridge Conversation Commission. The commission's objective is helping Shining Rock Development, LLC find ways to move ahead with completing construction on holes #4 & #8 while developing and executing plans to restore the several acres they destroyed.

Some highlights:

Meeting 1: Shining Rock Development, LLC agrees to come back in one week with plans for location and plant species planned for restoring the wetland. No work was to be done until the plans were approved by the commission.

Meeting 2: Shining Rock Development, LLC shows up without the agreed upon plans and basically argues with the commission for over an hour before their Vermont attorney takes them outside for a time out. At issue is the same old stuff - SRD challenges the wishes of the commission, saying the commission really doesn't need plans, drainage calculations, etc., etc. In the end, the commission agrees to allow Shining Rock Development, LLC to work on the tee boxes on #4 and the green on #8, with the understanding that no work would be done within 30 feet of the new wetland area. Shining Rock Development, LLC would attend the next regularly scheduled meeting to deliver an update on construction and plans.

Meeting #3: SRD, in what is supposed to be an update, reveals that work has been done in areas specifically forbidden in the previous Con Com meeting. What follows isn't pretty. SRD again reverts to its ignore, deny, blame strategy. It tells the commission at separate times during the meeting that:
- the commission approved the work (it didn't)
- the commission had no jurisdiction (it apparently does)
- the commission will be responsible for SRD's not being able to stabilize the holes for the winter
In the end, both sides agree that the only authorized work is the T's on 4 and green on 8 (we've heard this before).

Bottom line - just as with other initiatives, good old Shining Rock Development, LLC reverts to blame, innuendo and insults. They spend more time and money in nonproductive argument than what would be required if they just honored the law and their commitments the first time.

It's hard to understand why this is. But, then again, Mr. Ruland has said more than once, "...it's my..land and I'll do whatever I want with it..." Guess even the MEPA should just let Fred and his crew alter, destroy, etc., without saying anything.