Conservation Commission Approves CIMS Forest Studies, Orders Conditions on Catholic School Turf Project

ARLINGTON -- November 6, 2025, Arlington's Conservation Commission voted unanimously to approve three baseline scientific studies launching the active phase of a long-term forest restoration at CIMS Woods, then ratified an enforcement order and negotiated conditions allowing Arlington Catholic School to resume a synthetic turf replacement that had been halted by a stop-work order. Conservation Agent David Morgan issued the order November 6 after a resident complaint revealed that RAD Sports had begun replacing the artificial turf field on Mystic Street, within the 100-foot buffer zone to Millbrook, without commission permits. Dan Shine, the school's athletics director, and RAD Sports project manager Peter Pacheco apologized and said the school believed a like-for-like carpet swap did not require permitting. Commissioner Susan Chapnick pressed the school on the environmental hazard of 6-PPD-quinone, a chemical that leaches from tire crumb rubber and is acutely toxic to aquatic environments, noting Arlington's own Artificial Turf Study Committee had recommended against crumb rubber. The commission's amended order requires weekly drain inspections, filter fabric over perimeter drains during construction, a ban on leaf blowers for infill management, photographic weekly reports, and a written crumb rubber handling protocol from the contractor.