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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-12-20 Conservation Commission MinutesMinutes of the Reading Conservation Commission 12-20-00 Minutes of the Conservation Commission Town of Reading Selectmen's Meeting Room Wednesday, December 20, 2000 - 7:00 PM Present: Nancy Eaton, Chair, William Finch, Douglas Greene and Patricia Lloyd, Commissioners; Harold Hulse, Consultant Absent: Mark Gillis, Vice Chair, and Thad Berry, Commissioners and Leo Kenney Consultant Chair called the meeting to order at 7:15 PM Request for Emergency Certification - Beaver Dam on Walkers Brook - rear of landfill. Chair passed out Board of Health Certification of Emergency and draft emergency order and site visit notes. Jane Fiore said a trapper named John Benadetto agreed to work for town at town's expense. Board of health did not issue order for actual trapping yet in order to get the full ten days from when he would start. At 1:30, site visit for board of health noted water level 5 feet deep and pipe would go through dam down one and a half feet. The lodge seems to be on Wakefield/ Reading line and there is another dam. There are probably no more than 8 to 9 beavers. Trapper will watch size of colony, and we can wait a bit to see what happens. His experience with five towns is that water-leveling device may keep beaver population at this level. His philosophy is not to think extermination, but control. Mrs. Fiore addressed Mr. Finch's e-mail concerns stating from public health point of view, of 35 houses in the area, 18 on septic systems and 11 on cesspools. Three failed and were leaking into Walker's Brook were converted to town sewer. The potential is very high for problems. Of the 35 properties, 22 were built in 1920-32. This area was known as Quannapowitt Park and was a race track and amusement area. There are no potable or irrigation wells in the area. Also, to address Mr. Finch's concern, if public sewer line breaks at a T, material will leech out instead of bubbling up in drains and waterline. If we see a plate in street bubbling up, that's clean water. She talked to chair of board of health, who still maintains, without exception, this is public health matter decision. All agreed to put trapping on hold and watch water line. Town manager agreed if and when we get to trapping, cost will be at town expense. A water-leveling device through the dam should assist exponentially by lowering water in ponding area. The chair of the Board of Health asked Mrs. Fiore to express his appreciation that two boards, one without a staff person, with primary concern and oversight of the environment community health, in a matter of 2 % weeks, have come to an amenable solution for the benefit of the community and is very pleased so much was accomplished and is very grateful for Nancy Eaton taking responsibility for this issue. As a board and as the staff liaison, they Minutes of the Reading Conservation Commission 12-20-00 2 Eaton asked where second dam was. Mrs. Fiore said it was further up and closer to Wakefield - downstream - and he thinks the lodge is further up, backwards from what usually happens. DPW people who went out with trapper will use similar device as on Willow Street, but lower in the water. Forecasts are for a fairly wet winter, and if they have to remove beavers, will do it jointly with Wakefield. If water level stays low and doesn't affect health, that geographical area can support a beaver colony. Eaton spoke with Eric Amati, who is the director at Fisheries and Wildlife, so if the problem exists beyond the Board of Public Health emergency timeframe, he's the individual that will decide future action. He said he thought it would be ineffective to just breach dam without doing trapping. Mrs. Fiore said using the trapper is on hold at his recommendation and it is his business, so he'd trap them if necessary and when appropriate. The lodge is on other side of 128. There are three darns in Wakefield that he's watching and a couple in North Reading. The Chair stated on south side of landfill, town has a drainage canal from Lake Quannapowitt, which was established by legislature, and Reading has right to control level of water coming out of lake under the legislation. Dams and lodge could be on that stretch. Mrs. Fiore said if conservation issues the permit, a DPW work crew will go out tomorrow morning. If they run into difficulty, they will go out again on Friday. If breaching lowers the water levels affecting households, that action will meet the first goal of reducing threats of flooding. Mr. Finch was concerned about sewage smells at the dam, saw a manhole cover and - - wondered about their origin and connections. Eaton said work on the sewer mains on Eaton Street was scheduled for the spring. Mrs. Fiore took water samples for E. coli or coliform. They will get the more general tests done first and will ask for giardia only if there is a positive result on coliform. Commission discussed draft emergency certification order. Paragraph three was modified to say breach should allow for no more than a one-foot drop in water per day. Pat Lloyd asked about the paragraph dealing with trapping. Eaton said she wrote order expansively in case it needs to be done in the future. Doug Greene moved and Will Finch seconded a motion that the Conservation Commission approve and issue the draft emergency certification as amended during the meeting. Vote: 4-0. Eaton said she would deliver order to DPW tomorrow and monitor their activity. 7:40 PM - 8 Strawberry Hill Lane, DEP 270-284; RGB 1996-06 - Release of Bond The Chair explained that after Dave Johnson built the house, it was sold to Mr. Barrett who installed bocce court and removed limit of activity markers and other things. Administrator had issued directives to remediate the unauthorized activity. Mr. St. Pierre purchased the property, and Karen had sent list of items to be corrected. Mr. St. Pierre present. We have bond posted by Johnson. We issued a certificate of compliance, but on SOOC, DEP would not because still bare ground that hadn't stabilized at rear of property. Minutes of the Reading Conservation Commission 12-20-00 Mr. St. Pierre said Barrett wasn't forthcoming. They found out the day before closing, Karen came over and pointed out problems, but by that time all packed and ready to move and their house had been sold. They're now stuck with whatever he hasn't done. The Chair went out yesterday morning. Her site notes note none of the four items were dealt with and additional area of erosion need to be dealt with. At this point, owner can't stabilize with grass because of winter conditions but, since grass failed, perhaps shad tolerant plantings would be more appropriate and the developer may be responsible for that portion of the work and part of 1,000 bond should go to remediate that aspect. Limbs are piled up from tree that we gave permission to remove. Owner needs to get silt fence restaked in areas of erosion. Will see if Mr. Johnson will work with homeowner on that particular aspect. Johnson not responsible for tree or stonedust or violations by Mr. Barrett or the crushed stone around downspout, but Chair thought he did have responsibility for stabilization. Mr. St. Pierre said it was ok to give Johnson his phone number. Need to get erosion controls up now and deal with rest in spring. Silt fence now and restabilization and seeding in the spring may be Johnson's responsibility. St. Pierre concerned about whether anything will grow in shade. Will suggested myrtle in area or other shade tolerant ground cover. The Chair suggested taking limbs to compost area and to allow him until spring to remove limbs. Mr. Finch said Johnson's not here we need to get a sense of what he's willing to do. Also, Bocce ball court is not on original plan, and not included in certificate of compliance. There may be conservation issues in the future. St. Pierre asked about one tree that is growing sideways over the deck towards a window. Karen had mentioned possibly forms to fill out concerning pruning. Chair as acting administrator will go out and look at it again from that point of view and she has sign off authority to approve the pruning but it would have to be done at St. Pierre's expense. Board not comfortable releasing bond without Johnson present. No action will be taken RGB #1997-03 DEP #270-292 - 30 Lafayette Road - Bond Release - Dave Johnson cleared larger rear yard area than was allowed in the order. Commission asked him to plant row of shrubs to clearly show limit of activity. People who purchased removed shrubs. Current owners after discussion with Commission allowed that area to naturally revegetate. At the present time, there's still one shrub at each edge and a three-inch difference in height of grass at that point. Everything's well stabilized, and the Chair felt we could release the bond at this time. Will Finch moved and Pat Lloyd seconded a motion that the Commission approve the release of $750 bond held to ensure survival of vegetation. Vote: 4-0-0. 8:00 PM - Order of Conditions - RGB#1996-15, DEP #270-287 -10 Cory Lane - ---The Chair said she-was not sure if the adjacent vernal pool was statecertified and - proposed we delete bolded words in paragraph 2 since Leo Kenney is not here to clarify. Minutes of the Reading Conservation Commission 12-20-00 4 Doug suggested putting in pools were certified under Reading bylaws, but Chair didn't think it was necessary to put anything in. Discussed whether we needed to change order under RGB, need special condition that prior to other work on site, visible stone bounds will be set in ground along conservation restriction line. Felt it was already covered in paragraph 4. Pat Lloyd moved and Doug Greene seconded a motion that the Commission approve and issue the Order of Conditions as amended. Vote: 4-0-0. Doug Greene volunteered for next month that he was available to help Chair with administrator's duties. 8:15 - Minutes. Pat Lloyd moved and William Finch seconded a motion that the Commission approve the Minutes of November 15, December 6, March 1 and 15, April 5 and 19, May 3 and May 17, 2000 as written. Vote: 4-0-0. Doug Greene moved and Will Finch seconded a motion that the Commission approve the Executive Meeting Minutes of March 15, April 19 and Dec. 6, 2000. Vote: 4-0-0. Old/New Business: Reviewed Comprehensive Permit applications at 45 Beacon Street and 1375 Main Street, Map 225, Lot 18, and ZBA's request for comments. On Beacon St, if drainage eventually reaches wetlands, it may have conservation concerns. On 1375 Main Street it may fall within protected habitat and has wetlands some distance north, south, east and westerly across Main Street. Pat Lloyd moved and Will Finch seconded a motion to approve chair, as acting administrator, write letter to ZBA re: comprehensive permits. Vote: 4-0-0. 8:25 PM - Minor Project Sign-Off - 43 Woodland, yard shed. Pat Lloyd moved and Will Finch seconded a motion to approve the minor project. Vote: 4-0-0. 8:30 Two tree issues re: storm. One limb broke window at house 75 Mill Street, adjacent to Marion Woods Conservation Area. She recommended to Town Manager to top, drop, and leave for habitat. 238 Ash Street - down almost to Wakefield line. Dead tree, big chunk came off, hit house. Owner wants to remove remainder. In his case, there's safety issue, allow him to completely remove it to ground. There is more marsh than forested wetland to rear of his house. Authorized cut to ground and remove it. 8:35 Approve and comments on Draft Open Space and Recreation Plan. This item will be placed on the next meeting's agenda to give time to review. Minutes of the Reading Conservation Commission 12-20-00 8:36 p.m. The Chair reviewed the filing that has come in for a delineation at the landfill. She read her proposed letter discussing the issues she has with their submission. Commission discussed next meeting's agenda and proposed site visits. Commission agreed on Sunday, January 7 at 1:00 PM. 8:55 - Kim Honetschlager, Chair of the Open Space & Recreation Planning Task Force, reported to Eaton that at the Selectman's meeting last night it was announced there would be a joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen and Conservation on January 9th to discuss the Community Preservation Act. Adjournment. There being no further business to come before the Commission, Pat Lloyd moved and Will Finch seconded a motion to adjourn at 9:10 PM. Respectfully submitt d, Nancy L. Caton Chair y from notes taken by Patricia Lloyd, Commissioner