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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-12 Conservation Commission MinutesOFq� �_ Town of Reading RECEIVED Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK y 2� READING,,. _,,:, ,.. Board - Committee - Commission - Council: 2025 OCT -7 PM I: 46 Conservation Commission Date: 2025-03-12 Time: 07:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: Hybrid Meeting - Conservation Version: Final Commission Meeting Attendees: Members - Present: Brian Bowe, chair, Martha Moore, vice chair, Tony Rodolakis (remote), Tim Michel, Walter Talbot Members - Not Present: Chirag Sthelekar - on leave Others Present: Chuck Tirone, Conservation Administrator, Chad Griffith, Bill Harper, Jeff Shute, Jack Sullivan, Ian Ainslie, Mike Napier Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Martha Moore Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held in person and remotely via Zoom. Chair Brian Bowe called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. Public Hearings 1. 695 Pearl St. ANRAD 4'%acre parcel with a single-family home. Norse Environmental did the wetland delineation. There are 3 series of wetland flags. They are planning for a few single family homes. The ANRAD is to establish the wetland line to begin design work. Martha Moore asked about whether the isolated wetland has a vernal pool. Requested the ANRAD to check on it. Chuck Tirone asked to check the locations of the flags because it is close to the size for DEP regulations. Brian Bowe asked about the area with no trees marked. Jack Sullivan will map the rest of the trees. Brian Bowe asked why the A series flags do no reach the lot line. Maureen will extend that line. He also asked whether any work is planned on the peninsula beyond the wetland. Jack Sullivan said no. Chuck Tirone said that with a project like this, it is typical to request third party review. Do that before we schedule a site visit. Tony asked about the timing of the third party Page I I review. Chuck said the first couple of weeks in April, discuss at our second April meeting. Martha Moore moved for a V party review, Walter Talbot seconded. Roll Call Vote 5-0 in favor. Tony Rodolakis (remote) Yes, Walter Talbot Yes, Tim Michel Yes, Martha Moore Yes, Brian Bowe Yes. Chuck said that they will review the wetland line and any other resource areas, such as vernal pools. DEP wants data sheets and dates of delineation. Chuck Tirone said to include the third party review. Chad Griffith, 651 Pearl St, abutter, asked what the plan is for Lot 64. Jack Sullivan responded that it will remain as is. No plans to donate it to Bare Meadow right now. Chad asked about drainage easements, and Jack Sullivan explained that the development plan will include stormwater management. Jack Sullivan requested to continue the hearing to April 9. Martha Moore moved to continue the hearing to April 9, Walter Talbot seconded. Roll Call Vote 5-0-0 in favor. Tony Rodolakis (remote) Yes, Walter Talbot Yes, Tim Michel Yes, Martha Moore Yes, Brian Bowe Yes. Old/New Business 2. 246-248 Walnut Street request for a minor plan change to install a berm and a 7 foot fence for a visual and noise barrier from the highway. Ian Ainslie (remote), engineer, and Mike Napier (remote), developer presenting Tony Rodolakis asked what will happen to the existing chain link fence. Mike Napier said that they want to construct a 3 foot berm and a PVC fence, they will not impact the chain link fence. They will be sure to be on their property not on the state property. Tony Rodolakis commented that there are a lot of trees along the proposed fence line and asked how they will navigate the trees. Ian Ainslie replied that they will navigate around the trees. Mike Napier replied that there are no trees where the berm will be. Ian Ainslie said that this area was already disturbed because of an existing single family house. Martha Moore pointed out that the fence will be much lower than the highway and asked what the use of the fence is. Mike Napier replied landscape design and aesthetics. Martha Moore pointed out the 35 foot no structure zone and asked them to end the fence at the 35 foot line. Chuck Tirone pointed out that the no structure zone is at the 35 foot line. Ian Ainslie agreed to end the fence at the 35 foot line. Brian Bowe asked them not to cut any trees. Martha Moore asked them to protect the trunks and roots of the trees along the berm. Don't pack soil against the base of the trunk. Are you defining trees as 6 inch diameter? Chuck Tirone tree replacement policy Is 6 inch diameter, when you are altering an area, if you fill next to a tree, it will kill a tree. Burying tree roots will kill them. Brian Bowe asked how thick the berm will be at the base. 2 - 3 feet wide at the top, 6 - 8 feet wide at the base. Tony Rodolakis asked what material will be used, answer: it will be loam. Mike Napier thought they had a short berm on the plans, and claimed it would be advantageous. Tony Rodolakis asked what the maintenance of the fence will be. Ian Ainslie said that the berm would be owned by lot two. Page 12 Martha Moore pointed out that their erosion control on the plan is not outside the proposed berm. Ian Ainslie agreed that they would need more erosion control outside the berm. Brian Bowe asked about what the significance is of the ribbons tied around some trees. Ian Ainslie replied that they might be trees to be removed for the house, they might be trees to remain. Marked when the commission did their original site walk. Brian Bowe was concerned about the berm damaging trees. Mike Napier said that if they Impact a 2 - 3" tree, they would replant. Martha Moore requested that they mark the outline of the berm on the ground and then we will do another site visit. Agreed to do so and do a site visit on March 24. Brian Bowe asked how they will stabilize the berm. Mike Napier said that there will be a fence on top, and Arbor vitae, then sod or hydroseed and loam. Brian Bowe did not like that answer, Greater than 3:1 slope but no engineered protection. Walter Talbot said that he thought the base would be wider than 6 feet. Brian Bowe agreed that a 3 foot berm would have an 18 foot wide base. Chuck Tirone said that a detail on the plan should include how to engineer the slope to hold the soil in place. Brian Bowe said that recently trees at different sites were damaged, and requested that they be careful, such as putting orange fences around the trees to remain. Mike Napier replied that there is not a lot of growth along the off ramp. Chuck Tirone asked whether the berm and fence will be reviewed by the building department. Ian Ainslie replied that he assumes that a fence over 7 feet will need a building permit. Part of the reason for the berm is to get more height without such a tall fence. Chuck Tirone commented that the width of the berm may impact the driveway turn around area. He asked for a plan for the final location of the driveway turn around. Ian Ainslie pointed out that most of the berm is outside the jurisdiction of the conservation commission. Site visit will be on March 24, plans to Chuck Tirone by March 20. Martha Moore moved to continue the hearing to March 26, Walter Talbot seconded. Roll Call Vote 5-0-0 in favor. Tony Rodolakis (remote) Yes, Walter Talbot Yes, Tim Michel Yes, Martha Moore Yes, Brian Bowe Yes. Violation Notices: 445 Pearl Street. Brian Bowe, Walter Talbot, Tony Rodolakis, and Martha Moore did another site visit. Discussion of current conditions compared to 2021 conditions, comparing photos and landmarks. Photo shows pile of mud on North bank, now there are visible pebbles, so mud has washed into the stream. In the after picture, the retaining wall is clearly closer to the stream, and filled behind the wall. Walter Talbot pointed out the the wall is not a retaining wall, it is leaning out toward the stream. Tony pointed out that the retaining wall is practically sitting in the water. He could hear rocks rolling down the slope. Boulders at the base of the wall have excavator scratch marks on them. Brian Bowe said that we don't want this to be a protracted process, leaving erosion on the northern bank. Tony Rodolakis said that the slope of the bank needs to be reduced, soil put on top of it, net to stabilize it while plants grow. Brian Bowe said that the stone at the base of the retaining wall redirects the water to erode the far bank. Chuck Tirone asked about whether Tony's suggestion applied to both banks. Tony Rodolakis said that he has big concerns about the south bank. He would like to see plans stamped by a Page 1 3 professional engineer. The wall is leaning out, if it ever gives, it could block the stream, if there is a car parked there you could have a vehicle in the stream. Chuck Tirone asked when the drawings should be submitted. Since the wall is not where it was in the previous plans, the 2021 plans no longer apply. Tony Rodolakis would like to see stamped plans showing a solution that stabilizes the bank for the long term. Discussion about whether we can impose fines. Tony Rodolakis said we could start with $5 a day, we don't like imposing fines. Chuck will check with Town Hall and Town Counsel. Martha Moore pointed out that the original letter was dated a full 4 years ago. Martha Moore moved to ask Chuck Tirone to amend the enforcement order. Walter Talbot seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote 5-0-0 in favor. Tony Rodolakis (remote) Yes, Walter Talbot Yes, Tim Michel Yes, Martha Moore Yes, Brian Bowe Yes. Tony Rodolakis pointed out that letting this slide is unfair to the people in town who do things the right way. Discussion Items: Tree Replacement Policy Update: Proposed policy changed to protect trees IN the resource area, not just the buffer zone. Martha Moore moved to adopt the updated tree replacement policy as of 3/12/2025. Walter Talbot seconded. Roll Call Vote 5-0-0 in favor. Tony Rodolakis (remote) Yes, Walter Talbot Yes, Tim Michel Yes, Martha Moore Yes, Brian Bowe Yes. Conservation/DPW meeting was held on March 11. One topic brough up by the DPW was an update on the containers on Strout Ave. Heads up that there will be a road pavement application for 2025. We discussed what task for the DPW to do would be chosen to designate as the mitigation for the containers. We also asked for the DPW to support the tasks that our volunteers will work on over the summer. Administrator's report: 885 Main St. will be coming in for a permit. We will review the stormwater permit due to a bylaw change. A Notice of Intent will also come in. The disturbance on this property is just over an acre and is covered by Regulation 7.9.4.1 National Grid has ID'd the trees to cut, laid down mats, cut the trees, and taken the mats out. They will put the mats back down when they go back to do the work of removing the caissons and the lines. Martha Moore asked whether Chuck Tirone was able to see the area after the trees were cut. He didn't get notified in time to get there before they took up the mats. Approval of Minutes: Martha Moore moved to accept the 12/11 minutes, Walter Talbot seconded Roll Call Vote 5-0-0 in favor. Tony Rodolakis (remote) Yes, Walter Talbot Yes, Tim Michel Yes, Martha Moore Yes, Brian Bowe Yes. 1/22/2025 Tony is not quite finished with the minutes yet. 2/12/2025 Martha Moore requested to wait until next meeting to accept these minutes. 2/26/2025 Brian Bowe will do the minutes 3/12/2025 Martha Moore will do the minutes We are looking to hire someone to do the minutes, Martha Moore has found a possible minutes writer and we will need to vote on using our fees to pay for that if we find someone. Page 1 4 We are reminded to see the information on the Eastern Gateway that came out by email. Brian Bowe said that a survey was sent out to get feedback from the town. Chuck Tirone is concerned about the rotary that is being discussed that may impact the wetlands and the stream. Martha Moore said that she was at an early meeting when they were discussing putting in sidewalks and bike paths, at that meeting they acknowledged that there is a stream on the north side. Chuck Tirone said that it is a great project, but It is within wetlands. He hopes that the conservation commission will be involved from start to finish on this project. Martha Moore moved to adjourn at 8:37 Walter Talbot seconded Approved 5 — 0 — 0 Page 1 5