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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-05-13 Conservation Commission Minutes Town of Reading it E GE I V E U X Meeting Minutes �T0WIN CLERK � ... w Pita NU 12 dM 11: 14 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Conservation Commission Date: 2020-05-I3 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Location: Address: Session: Open Session Purpose: Public Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Chair Michael Flynn, Vice Chair Annika Scanlon, Martha Moore, John Sullivan, David Pinette; Associate Members: Tay Evans, Scott Keefe; Conservation Administrator Chuck Tirone Members - Not Present: Carl Saccone, Bob Hayes, Associate Member Nichola Meserve Others Present: Michele and Mark Winsor, Jack McLoken, David Cowell, Randy Gagnon, Jay Finnegan, Eric Cates, Josh Latham, Joe Peznola, Ryan Percival, Richard Devana, Matt Devlin, Todd Dwyer, Tom Wise Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde and Chuck Tirone Topics of Discussion: This meeting was conducted remotely consistent with the Governor's orders due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and suspension of public gatherings. Mr. Flynn called the meeting to order at 7:10pm. Public Hearinas Scheduled: 30 Glenmere Circle RGB File No. RDA 2020-1 Homeowners Michele and Mark Winsor are proposing to build a 17'x30' addition to their existing home within the 100-foot buffer. The closest work is 82 feet from the nearest wetland. The addition is planned for the side of the house where there is currently a deck. The deck and bulkhead will be removed, and the bulkhead will be replaced in its same spot. An existing shed will be moved to the other side of the property. No vegetation will be removed for the project. Roof runoff will flow into gutters and down into the grass. Motion to close the hearing for RDA 2020-1 by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Mr. Pinette. Roll call vote 5-0-0. Motion to issue negative determination for RDA 2020-1 by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Mr. Pinette. Roll call vote 5-0-0. 0 Haverhill Street DEP File No. 270-0728 Mr. Flynn re-opened the Public Hearing. Jack McLoken on behalf of M.G. Hall, presented changes to the plan. The original plan proposed two single family dwellings with driveways and decks which encroached on the 25-foot zone of natural vegetation. The new proposal is to build just one 28'x44' single family home. The new house does not encroach in the 25- Page 1 1 foot zone, however, a small portion of the foundation is proposed to encroach on the 35- foot no structure zone, for which the applicant is requesting a variance. A proposed three-foot trail from Haverhill Street to the Conservation land behind the property was removed from the plandue to concerns raised by abutters. However, a 10- foot easement remains for trail access. The remaining 13 acres of the parcel would be donated to the Conservation Commission, as it abuts Timberneck Swamp. There are IS trees proposed to be removed. For any tree that cannot be replaced, the applicant is agreeing to pay $250 per tree to the Town's tree fund. A proposed deck, patio, retaining wall, and a portion of the driveway also encroach on the 35-foot zone for a total of 13.1 square feet, for which the applicant is requesting a variance. The Commission asked if it was possible to relocate any of the elements in order to not have them encroach in the 35-foot zone. Mr. MCLoken stated that proposed locations work best with the interior floor plan by having a walk-out from the basement to the patio, and the deck off of the kitchen. Members of the Commission agreed that the proposed layout may prevent yard creep in the future and requested that the patio be made permeable. The Commission also discussed two trees near where other trees are to be taken down. There is a possibility that their roots may be damaged during construction and may become unsafe in the future. There is currently no planting plan, but the applicant has requested the help of the Conservation Administrator to advise where plants should be located. Peter Misticawi of 15 Varney Circle asked if access to conservation land through lot 2 was looked into and expressed concern about foot traffic on Haverhill Street and on Varney Circle. Mr. Tirone explained that access from Crocus Street was considered, but a report from Norse Environmental showed that the area was too wet for access. But the proposed access area is no longer a trail, and just an easement. If the land is legally donated, the Commission needs to provide some way to access it. If there was ever a proposal to develop a trail, it would still go through the public notification process and abutters would be notified. Rick Moreno of 114 Haverhill street, abutter to the proposed property, expressed concern how the abutters were notified. Mr. Tirone explained that abutters are notified of the first meeting, but when hearings are continued, it is up to those who want to follow the project to monitor the Conservation Commission agendas to see when it will be continued. Motion to continue NOI 270-0728 by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Mr. Pinette. Roll call vote 5-0-0. 259 & 267 Main Street DEP File No. 270-0727 Mr. Flynn re-opened the Public Hearing. David Cowell and Joe Peznola of Hancock Associates presented changes to the project since the last hearing. Ann Martin of LEC Consultants was brought in for a third-party review to advise both the Commission and the applicant on solutions to restore the site that the DEP would not be likely to appeal. The building was changed from a 3-story building to a 4-story building. This reduced the footprint of the building and reduced the total wetland impact from 5,029 square feet to 557 square feet. The wetland replication area will be 3,000 square feet, which is a 14:1 mitigation ratio. There is proposed mitigation in the 35-foot area, where invasive species will be removed and supplemental plants planted. Ann Martin reviewed the site walk she took with representatives from the DEP, the applicant, and the Commission where they discussed the finger-like projection and bank restoration. The DEP is not likely to have an issue with filling in the finger-like area, as it is manmade, but may have concerns with the bank restoration, as whoever does it would need to know what they are doing and be properly supervised. The Commission discussed an area to the south side of the building between Main Street and the 35-foot area that would benefit from invasive management and restoration. The applicant agreed to restore the area and expects monitoring of the area to be included in the order of conditions. Pa9e 1 2 The Commission discussed stream bank restoration and the removal of a pedestrian pathway. Extensive bank restoration would require oversight by the Army Corp of Engineers. The applicant is hopeful to restore a portion of the bank under 100 linear feet so as not to involve the Army Corp. Mr. Tirone noted that he would like to see some sort of pedestrian pathway established. Mr. Flynn encouraged the Commission members to think about what mitigations are required, if there is significant undercutting that could provide improvements without going into Army Corp requirements, and if there are other options to mark the path. Motion to continue NOI 270-0727 by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Mr. Pinette. Roll call vote 5-0-0. Enaineerino Division Maintenance and Road Repair RGB File No 2020-1 Mr. Flynn opened the Public Hearing. Ryan Percival, Town Engineer, presented the plan for road repair in Town, with 2.1 miles of roadway within the 100-foot buffer zone. Silt sacks and silt fabric in catch basins will provide erosion control. Mr. Percival and Mr. Tirone will go out and determine where erosion control is needed. For work on Mill Street, it is not anticipated that construction equipment will need to be staged at the parking lot for Lobs Pond. But if it is, any damage will be repaired. Stormwater BMPs will be enforced and someone from the Engineering Department will be on site at all times during paving. Some repair may be needed for catch basins that may have deteriorated and damaged catch basin grates will be replaced. Motion to issue negative determination by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Mr. Pinette. Roll call vote of 5-0-0. Track Road (near 74 Track Road) DEP File No. 270-0729 Mr. Flynn re-opened the Public Hearing. Ryan Percival reviewed the plan to demolish and replace an existing bridge on Track Road. Rich Devana, Matt Devlin and Todd Dwyer of AEcom presented changes to the plan since the last hearing. While they were not able to eliminate riprap on the slope, they were able to reduce it, keeping it only on the middle to lower portion. Fiber core logs and bio-blocks will be used to reestablish the slope. An annual New England rye seed mix will be used to stabilize the slope until proposed plantings can be established. Mr. Devlin addressed comments from a DEP letter including: stream crossing and openness ratios, mitigation measures, and culvert depth. The design meets stream crossing standards. Mr. Tirone and Ms. Scanlon reviewed their visit to the site where they examined the high- water line, and heard from neighbors that they had never seen the water overtop the road. The steepness of the proposed slope and the amount of riprap continues to be a concern. The Commission discussed beaver blockage in the area, and the replacement of the sewer pipe. Work on the bridge is expected to be done during the dry season of July and August. John Barmoy of 16 Track road asked about the waterflow table, and the effect on traffic with the expanded bridge. He also wanted to note that puddles collect along there in the spring and summer, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mr. Percival explained that the new design will provide more flood storage area. Mr. Devlin explained that the new size of the bridge meets MassDOT standards and that there should not be any issues as the area has a low traffic volume. Page 1 3 Motion to continue NOI 270-0729 by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Ms. Moore. Roll call vote of 5-0-0. Old/New Business: Notification of work under the Order of Conditions DEP 270-0315 RGB 2001-15, Grove Street Water Main Ryan Percival presented the plan for general maintenance that provides water on Grove Street. The 12-inch line from Meadow Brook to Strout Avenue will be cleaned and lined. A 6-inch line will be upgraded to an 8-inch line from the town line down Grove Street. The concern is whether the work is within the wetland buffer zone on Strout Avenue. Silt fence and straw waddles will be used for erosion control and any catch basins will have filter fabric or silt sacks. A temporary bypass will be setup to maintain water connection to the houses. The Commission requested additional erosion control downslope of the Meadow Brook Golf building. Motion to approve the work under the General Permit by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Ms. Moore. Roll call vote of 5-0-0. 181 South Street Patio Paver and Planting Plan, Wise Tom Wise presented the updated plans for patio pavers and plantings around a proposed swimming pool in his backyard. The pool will be surrounded with regular pavers while the walkway will have permeable pavers. An 8-inch wall will protect plantings. The Commission agreed that the planting plan which includes low-bush blueberries, high-bush viburnum, and mountain laurel satisfies the replacement of trees that are proposed to be removed. Motion to approve the updated plan for 181 South Street by Ms. Scanlon, seconded by Mr. Sullivan. Roll call vote of 5-0-0. Matters Property Tree Evaluation and Parking Area Mr. Flynn reminded the Commission that in October of last year, a resident, Mr. Poirier, reached out with concerns about trees on the Bear Meadow Conservation property that abuts his property. Mr. Tirone visited the site with Mike Hannaford, Tree warden, who noted that while the trees were very tall, there did not appear to be any issues or reason to take down the tree. Recently, Mr. Poirier returned from a trip to find that one of the trees had uprooted and was leaning against another tree. The DPW went out and removed two trees on an emergency. Mr. Tirone returned to the site with Will Finch of the Trails Committee to speak with Mr. Poirier, who is still concerned about some trees. Mr. Tirone requested that Commission members visit the site to further evaluate the situation. Lobs Pond Parking Area Mr. Tirone stated that there are a lot of potholes in the parking area for Lobs Pond. He recommended that the Commission write a letter to the DPW, or Select Board liaison, Karen Herrick, to request some cleanup and have the potholes filled. Ms. Moore volunteered to write the letter and bring it to the next meeting for input from the rest of the Commission. Hydrant Install. Too Soil. Ruts and Dewatering on Mill Street A hydrant was installed on Mill Street, which was filled back in with clay. Mr. Percival stated that it would be fixed as part of the paving project. Cross Street Culvert Work There is material behind the former Smith Oil site coming down and depositing south. Alex Rozycki of the Engineering Department is putting together a plan to go out and clean up approximately 20 feet of the area. It may need to be done as an emergency because it is Page 1 4 causing flooding to the neighbors. Mr. Tirone encouraged the Commission members to visit the site and decide if it is an emergency. Mosouito Control at Willow Street in lune Mr. Tirone notified the Commission that mosquito control would be coming to Town in June. They will be working in the area of Austin Prep and Willow street, and will be recreating the channel through the wetland area to complete the work. Minutes for Approval. Motion to approve minutes from April 8, 2020 by Mr. Pinette, seconded by Mr. Sullivan. Roll call vote of 5-0-0. Motion to adjourn by Mr. Sullivan, seconded by Ms. Scanlon. Roll call vote of 5-0- 0. Page 1 5