DEP affirms Lexington High School wetlands permit

School Building Committee · Meeting of October 19, 2026

LEXINGTON — The Lexington School Building Committee learned the state Department of Environmental Protection affirmed the town's wetlands order for the Lexington High School rebuild without changes, and no appeal had surfaced as of the October 19 meeting. Project officials estimated the DEP review delay will cost between $2.5 million and $5 million, likely near the lower end, and push substantial completion from June 2029 to roughly mid-July 2029 while still targeting fall 2029 for student occupancy. The team proposed blasting a site knoll instead of mechanical drilling, calling it "a zero cost" option that could recover four to six weeks, with eight homes identified within a 500-foot survey radius.

SMMA's Sarah Sobolak reported the project avoided Red List chemicals in 29 of 32 material categories, with $161,000 in approved premium costs and $2 million in upgrades, including $1.6 million for light fixtures, left out as not "cost effective." The committee approved its September 28 minutes 7-0 with one abstention and took no other formal votes.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
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• The complete report — 2,604 words

Source: the School Building Committee meeting of October 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.