Arts center receives IWWC approval

SHARON — An application for a gallery, office and retail space in Sharon has been approved by the Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission after the applicant, local nonprofit Low Road Sharon, downscaled and revised its plans to account for impacts to a nearby stream.

Low Road Sharon will manage an artist’s colony on renowned painter Jasper Johns’ Sharon estate after his passing, a project which was received favorably by Sharon’s Planning and Zoning Commission in 2017.

The new development is planned to be constructed at 1, 15 and 29 Low Rd., adjacent to the North Main Street shopping plaza. The property is owned by Low Road Sharon, but is not continuous with the painter’s estate.

A Feb. 10 public hearing enabled commissioners and members of the public to offer their input on issues such as erosion control, invasive species management, and noise and traffic disturbances due to construction. The IWWC decided to table the issue until its March 10 regular meeting, where it resumed the conversation.

At the meeting, Commissioner Mike Dudek expressed his desire for oversight, “specifically in relation to herbicide use” and storm water management practices relating to the project, a sentiment which several other commission members echoed.

Commissioner William Trowbridge motioned that the application be approved with conditions, opening the floor for the commission to deliberate the resolution.

The final conditions of approval were that the planting plan replace a foreign species with a native one, and that the applicant hire an agent to monitor all plantings, storm water runoff contingencies and general maintenance of the construction. The resolution also stipulated that the storm water drainage system specifically be monitored bi-monthly for a period of five years, with regular reports to IWWC.

Dudek reiterated the importance of keeping tabs on the development: “Storm water systems and herbicide spraying will affect that stream big time.”

Commission alternate Colin Malone said that “overall the plan is a significant improvement over what’s there right now,” referring to several old and unkempt buildings currently lying vacant on the property.

More details surrounding the construction specifics will be made public once the group submits an application to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which is likely in the next several months.