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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-02-28 Conservation Commission MinutesI Minutes of the Conservation Commission CLERK Town of Reading ;F'EAUAG, MASS. Selectmen's Meeting Room Wednesday, February 28, 2001- 7:00 pm 2001 BAR 2~ P 2 Present: Chair, Nancy Eaton; Doug Greene, Pat Lloyd and Thad Berry, Commissioners; Leo Kenney and Harold Hulse, Consultants; Conservation Administrator Fran Fink Absent: Mark Gillis and Vincent Falcione, Commissioners Eagle Scout Project - Matthew Shapank said he was interested in local conservation areas and what needs to be done and what he can do. Kim Honetschlager, Chair of the Open Space & Recreation Task Force sent him some email concerning possible projects. List of trail development, etc., out of the open space plan. The Chair suggested sections in Bare Meadow near cemetery would benefit from a bridge across stream connecting with remaining portions. Commission had marked out a potential trail in the past. Last summer portion at Pinevale done, but more could be done. Matt said he needs a large project because he has lots of workers. The Bare Meadow area interests him and footbridge. Andrew, Matt's dad, asked about clearing trail at Bare Meadow. Does it consist of cutting down trees? Chair stated scout projects usually don't use power tools. She said we are trying to make some trails accessible for people with disabilities and there are some design standards in the office for this. She also mentioned a potential trail connecting into North Reading, which would require more footbridges. Leo Kenney suggested they should visit sites and see what's needed. All conservation areas need boundary signs. Suggested to Matt that he look at list, talk to administrator, talk to Kenney and Kim and get a feeling of what he wants to do. Kim mentioned survey responses include a bike trail. Kurchian Woods would be a good mountain bike trail or signage in the town forest, which might mean more mapping and sign making than trail work. A picnic area was also of interest. Pat Lloyd said she would forward information about available grants. The Chair said trail maps are available in town hall or look on the town's website. Nancy said would probably not allow cutting of large trees and they should plan on using hand tools. Some spraying of poison ivy has been done in past. Most scouts take pictures before and after placing signs, etc. Nancy offered to meet with him to work on it. DPW may help. 7:25 - 4 Sanborn Lane, Cammarata, DEP 270-254, RGB 1993-20. Mr. Cammarata is concerned about trees in close proximity to house and asked permission to cut three pine trees that overhang family room and touch when there's a breeze. The Administrator stated this parcel was the subject of a previous filing with permanent condition requiring authorization of commission for any work in the ZN_V. One tree is 15 feet away and one 25 feet. The third one is not on the map. 2 Pat Lloyd moved and Doug Greene seconded a motion to give the Administrator authority to decide about cutting trees on this lot with caveat that if they are within buffer zone, can be cut, but not if they are in wetland. Leo Kenney asked if trees are such a danger, why was house built there? In particular case, not a significant wetland. These aren't providing significant amount of shading. Harold Hulse mentioned we had authorized similar taking down of other trees near houses. Vote: 4-0 in favor. 7:30 p.m. - Public Meeting RGB#2001-04 Request for Determination of Applicability, 29 Brewer Lane addition and deck. Administrator noted that the filing was made more than 21 days ago, and requested applicant to sign a waiver. Carl D'Angio and son Carl D'Angio, Jr., Esquire, were present. He plans to add at the existing porch, moving it out 2 feet and add 10 feet beside it. Administrator reported that the project seemed straightforward and set back from wetland. Drafted conditions. Nancy suggested including no grading changes. No one from audience spoke. Pat Lloyd moved and Doug Greene seconded a motion to close the public meeting. Vote: 4-0 in favor. Pat Lloyd moved and Thad Berry seconded a motion that the Commission issue a Negative Detennination with conditions. Vote: 4-0 in favor. 7:45 p.m. Public Meeting RGB #2001-05, Request for Determination of Applicability, Walkers Brook Drive (formerly Reading Landfill), Soils test pits. Dickinson Development Corp. Attendance sheet circulated. Mr. Shaw was present on behalf of the applicant. He said they were asking for same conditions as the previous filing and they wanted to do additional subsurface tests. This filing is under the local bylaw only, and there is no provision for amending an RDA, so they refiled. Now, want Commission to authorize additional testing. Discussed issuing a negative determination with conditions for any soil testing on plan dated Feb. 5, 2001, with same procedures as outlined in previous conditions. There was no audience discussion. Pat Lloyd moved and Thad Berry seconded a motion to close the Public Meeting. Vote: 4-0 in favor. Thad Berry moved and Doug Greene seconded a motion that the Commission issue a Negative Determination with same conditions as the previous determination. Vote: 4-0. 7:50 p.m. - Approval of Minutes for February 7, 2001- two sets of minutes. Pat Lloyd moved and Doug Greene seconded a motion that the Commission approve the two sets of Minutes dated February 7, 2001 as drafted. Vote: 4-0 in favor. 7:55 p.m. - Comprehensive Permit Application. Fran Fink reported there were wetlands within jurisdiction of 1375 Main Street. Applicant had hung some flags, but under snow and no soils tests. They're going to file a Notice of Intent. Catch basins in Main Street and in Gavin Circle. She said she was not clear on how the drainage was connected, so they were going to investigate basins. Community Preservation Act - Fran said she hadn't heard from town administration since the Board of Selectmen voted to appoint a study committee, but we haven't gotten a formal request for a delegate from commission. Pat Lloyd said she would like to be the Commission's delegate to commission. Doug Greene moved and Thad Berry seconded a motion that Patricia Lloyd be the Conservation Commission's representative on the Community Preservation Study Committee. Vote: 4-0 in favor. 8 p.m. - Continue Public Hearing - DEP 270-345, RGB #2000-52, Notice of Intent, Ashley Place Extension. Mr. Cappachietti said since the last hearing, they have submitted a new plan with minimal changes, including 20-foot access parcel to access abutting conservation land graded at 10 percent. He had to move house footprints to comply with frontage requirements. Also, he received memo from Fran listing her items needing clarification and faxed a response over today. To widen the lot to 60 feet by extending road would need waiver from CPDC to build an additional 100 feet of roadway. CPDC's limit is 500 feet. One option is a 20-foot deeded access. Another option is to support applicant's request to extend roadway to property line to get 60-foot access. Earlier, at a development review team meeting, they had asked for the road to go to the property line, but did not get a good response. Former conservation administrator was present at that meeting, but didn't indicate support. It could possibly be approved with the commission's support. If they could take the road to the property line, the maximum grade would be four percent. Plan now shows one percent, so end product would be somewhere in between. Attorney James Senior said they would file a covenant that runs with land to provide for maintenance of basins and review by town engineer. When subdivision approved, put on record additional covenant that would stay and ran with land. Chair stated in the past we've required deed restrictions. If someone's buying a lot in a subdivision, it is contingent on getting building permit, so would have to go to town, which would be aware of requirements. Hayes Engineering went through response dated 2/28/01. Vernal pool -maps show stone fence. Moved development to stay outside the 100-foot buffer on lots 3 and 4. Reviewed response to Administrator's memorandum. Administrator said she is not prepared to respond and would like opportunity to look at it in detail. Senior submitted a copy of the proposed covenant. Fran will get copy of minutes for the planning meeting that former administrator attended. No one in audience spoke on project. Doug Greene moved and Pat Lloyd seconded a motion to continue the meeting to March 14 at 7:30 p.m., at the request of the applicant with no further written notice to abutters. Vote: 4-0. 8:40 - Continued Public Hearing - DEP# 270-346, RGB#2000-03, Notice of Intent, 87 Walkers Brook Drive - Demolish existing service station and construct convenience store, canopy, gasoline dispensers, parking, and landscaping. Motiva Enterprises, LLC. Commission introduced. Chair read procedures and swore in witnesses. Attorney Mark Gallant - introduced experts present (see attendance sheet). sold the property to Texaco, retained an easement. Town now has taken by tax title the rear property. They will be discussing releasing the easement with the town. 4 Kevin Weber- engineer, reviewed updates and changes to plan. February 21st memo addresses questions from Commission. Addressed additional landscaping around building perimeter and natural vegetation buffer along property line. With respect to grading and drainage plan, in general, grading is not changed significantly, but addressed concerns of town engineer. Tied drainage into 15-inch RCP running through driveway. Also repositioned trash enclosure to get out of 40-foot easement. Site curbing was changed. Revised operation and maintenance plan and added demolition and erosion control plan. Hydrogeologist - with Handex New England. Passed out site summary and discussed it. Most recently, a sheen observed on abutting wetland in August last year triggered reportable condition. DEP notified. May have been an issue with the spill containment devices preceding the sheen. High vacuum extraction twice a month and routine monitoring. Chair asked him to contact Administrator to discuss our receiving information about remediation efforts. We have received nothing since DEP asked us to issue an emergency permit allowing monitoring wells. MBTE seems to still be high. He said they plan to submit a plan. Chair said he needs to file Notice of Intent or amend the current one to deal with these remediation issues. Handex is the environmental consultant to Texaco. LSP's name is George Campbell with IT (used to be with Handex.) Fran presented another memo with questions. She went through her issues. There is a large amount of contamination under pavement. When it is removed to rebuild, then, rainwater will come in and flush contamination into abutting areas. New structure can't go up until remediation issue is addressed. We need construction process plans to know how will deal with infiltration during the construction period. Texaco will be closed during this time. May need additional protections. Because the groundwater is fairly high, the risk of contamination is higher. Wetland resource areas only boundaries on site plan now. Some riverfront area not included on site plan and those should be included. Part is on flood plain and is slightly different than elevations on landfill plan. Their surveyors took that elevation from Mass transportation agency. Elevations may have changed after paving Walker's Brook Drive. Regarding the dumpster, the Board of Health said to put it as close to building as possible. Tried to move it off site, but Board of Health had problems with an off site dumpster. Board requested berm be placed around dumpster as we've done it in the past to contain any leaks. Fran asked if shape of building could be changed and move the drive through window. Their response was they can't reverse it because would shorten the queue unacceptably. Requested applicant find where pipe goes into wetlands. Fran said section 3 of report had a paragraph that appeared inaccurate.. Long-term maintenance. Ran out of time to 5 spend on it, so will keep working with it. Demolition and construction sequence is not site-specific and needs dealing with contaminants. Thad Berry asked why canopy is draining into Stormceptor and not into the basin. They said the canopy is clean and doesn't have to be treated. We noted the way the grading is shown, drainage is coming off the fuel area where there are contaminants. They will look at it and address Thad's concerns. Thad Berry also asked for more detail on dewatering soil movement through specs or plans. Hydrologist - next plan will not describe soil because that will be a separate report. If soil excavation will take place, will be described separately. If dewatering is necessary, there will be description of sequence of events. Thad Berry noted if something is specifically related to the site, he would like to see it all on plans so we can get a total picture. Pat Lloyd moved and Doug Greene seconded a motion to continue the Public Hearing to March 28 at 7:30 p.m., at the request of the applicant with no further written notification to abutters. Vote: 4-0 in favor. 9:45 - 8 Strawberry Hill Lane, DEP #270-284, RGB #1996-06 - request to remove trees in ZNV. Prior owners had permission to remove elm and chose not to remove it. New owners (St. Pierre) have until spring to clean up some material. Administrator described a tree four inches in diameter; strip of bark removed; dead branches cracking off. It is a few feet into buffer zone, hanging over deck, won't do a lot for the wetlands. Pat Lloyd moved and Thad Berry seconded a motion to delegate tree removal to administrator's oversight and replace with native species. Vote: 4-0 in favor. OLD/NEW BUSINESS: Reviewed letter to town manager regarding asking for town counsel services. Town manager replied in affirmative. Think about what would like input from town counsel. Submit ideas to Nancy or Fran. Conservation Restrictions (CR) - Fran is putting together files. No response from town counsel on CRs despite previous Administrator's communication. Ipswich River Management Council draft management plan is available for comment. There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Nancy L. Eaton, Chair, from notes taken by Patricia Lloyd, Commissioner