HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-10-18 Conservation Commission Minutes;EIVED
Minutes of the Conservation Commission ` ott Pl CLERK
R AD1° G, MASS.,
Town of Reading
Selectmen's Meeting Room 2001 FEB 13 P 4: 43'
Wednesday, October 18, 2000 - 7:00 pm
Present: Nancy Eaton, Chair, Mark Gillis (7:45 pm), Vice Chair, Douglas Greene, Thad
Berry, Patricia Lloyd, Commissioners; Harold Hulse and Leo Kenney, Consultants; and
Conservation Administrator Karen Mullins
Absent: Vincent Falcione
Reading Cable TV was present and recorded the meeting. Microphones were supplied
and the public and commission were requested to use them.
Minutes: Patricia Lloyd moved and Will Finch seconded a motion to accept the draft
Minutes of September 13, 2000 prepared by Nancy Eaton with input from the
Administrator. Vote: 5-0-0.
7:20 PM Public Meeting - RGB #2000-44 - 64 Glenmere Circle. Robert DeLuca, the
applicant and contractor presented the project. Kevin and Karen McCadden, owners
were present. The addition is to the front of the existing house and will be on concrete
slab. The administrator reported the site conditions. The drainage areas marked on the
plan are open and have associated Bordering Vegetative Wetlands. Proposed work area
is 60 feet from resource areas. Administrator distributed proposed conditions. There
were no abutter or public comments.
Patricia Lloyd moved and Will Finch seconded a motion to close the public meeting.
Vote: 5-0-0. Patricia Lloyd moved and Will Finch seconded a motion to issue a
Negative Determination with the conditions as drafted by Administrator on Page 6.
Vote: 5-0-0.
OLD/NEW BUSINESS: Certificate of Compliance - End of Pasture Road, DEP
#270-242 and 293; RGB #1992-07 and #1997-07. Mr. Larkin received a copy of the
Commission's site notes and has requested the Commission postpone taking action at this
meeting to give him an opportunity to address the outstanding issues. The Administrator
said he had reviewed the file and had additional issues, such as a conservation restriction
on the roadway or other portions of the site.
Certificate of Compliance - 83 Fairchild Drive, DEP #270-316, RGB #1999-8.
Owners were not present. Peter Ogren was present from Hayes Engineering.
Administrator addressed the issues and discrepancies between the approved and as-built
plans. Air conditioning unit pad is not correctly shown on plan and the open landing on
footings from the side entrance is not shown on plan. Chair requested Mr. Ogren to
______revise 11 the plans to accurately reflect what is in the field. Commission agreed to postpone
issuing a Certificate of Compliance until November 1 when a new as-built with the
needed revisions is received.
7:30 PM - Ashley Place, DEP #270-xxx, RGB #2000-45. ANRAD - delineation of
wetland resource areas. Peter Ogren from Hayes Engineering was present and submitted
revised plans dated 10-18-00 reflecting changes from the site walk on 10-15. Doug
Greene noted that the DEP field data sheets as submitted in the ANR.AD contain
inaccurate information at Transect 3, Flag A34 and the Commission's new flag CC A-34
was hung to replace the original A34 based on red maples present in the field and not red
oaks as stated on the data sheets. The Commission raised concern that the new location
of CC 40 did not indicate their memory of field conditions. Administrator agreed and
also recommended moving wetland flags A15-A18 five-ten feet upslope and Flags 30-35
10 feet upslope. Chair inquired whether the Commission wanted to schedule another site
visit to review flags A38-A44 or delegate to the administrator. Commission agreed to
delegate checking appropriate placement of wetland flags A15-A18, A30-A35 and A39-
A44 to the Administrator and to inform Hayes of the outcome so they may make
appropriate changes on the plan. Mr. Ogren requested that his company be present for
that site inspection.
Leo Kenney, Consultant, suggested that under the Town Bylaw, Section 31, the
Commission may want to request the applicant to investigate whether the pond on the
Reading Open Land Trust property may be an uncertified vernal pool. Mr. Ogren stated
- in his experience with DEP NERO, they classify vernal pools by darkened leaf staining
and he would like to know if this criteria is acceptable to the Commission. Chair
informed him that Natural Heritage criteria was the highest observable water level. Mr.
Kenney reminded Mr. Ogren that the Commission may treat the area as a vernal pool
unless evidence is submitted that would disprove that presumption. He recommended
Mr. Ogren to flag and indicate on the plan the "darkened leaf staining" areas on the plan
to see its relationship to the site.
Plan changes needed are revised flag positions based on Administrator's Field Visit, add
a legend to the plan, and add potential vernal pool limits.
The Commission noted that they did not delineate bank of the stream shown on the plan.
William Finch moved and it was seconded that the Public Hearing be continued to
November 1, 2000 at 8:30 pm at the request of the applicant's representative without
further notice to abutters. Vote: 5-0-0.
8:00 PM - Continued Public Hearing - DEP #270-341, RGB 2000-38 - Proposed
New School Off Roma Lane/Sunset Rock Lane. Nancy Eaton turned the Chair over to
Vice Chair Mark Gillis for this filing. Leo Kenney, Consultant, although voted a Special
Employee by the Board of Selectmen, removed himself from all discussions on this filing
to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest since the School Department employs him.
Present for the Applicant: Mike Dowhan, Landscape Architect from Geller Associates
Gary Pease, P.E., Judith Nitsche, Josh Alston, Engineer, from Judith Nitsche, and Sid
Bowen, Flansburgh Associates. Commission received new information tonight: Memo
from Joseph Delaney, Town Engineer to Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator
- dated 10-18-2000, letter from Josh Alston and Gary Pease dated 10-18-00, three pages, e-
mail from Mike Dowhan dated 10-10-00, an e-mail from Josh Alston dated 10-18-00,
Commission Site Visit Notes of 10-15-00. Revised plans, revised NOI and revised
drainage calculations were included in the mailed packet.
Mr. Dowhan referred to the plan and noted color-coded flags stating they match field
conditions. He apologized for misunderstanding the items the Commission wanted
flagged and will make arrangements for the surveyors to flag the roadway centerlines.
He referred to his letter to the Town Engineer regarding the Aquifer Protection District
impervious area calculations. He stated the total is now 19.95% out of the 20% allowed.
Critter gaps in the erosion controls have been added to the plans. Revisions to the
grading and drainage, especially adjacent to Lot 7 Sunset Rock Lane have been made.
Josh Alston, Judith Nitsche, Engineering, discussed Stormwater Management issues. He
met with the Town Engineer and new plans show removal of the Stormceptors and
replaced them with water quality swales. Drainage discharge towards Lot 7 has been
addressed and two water quality basins have been designed to control the rate and volume
of runoff in this area. Locations of infiltration structures have changed and will be
located in pervious fill. They have provided a note on the drawings regarding 3:1 slopes
or greater, that erosion control matting will be used to control erosion. Also, sediment
basins will be temporarily used on site to control erosion. Flansburgh Associates has
provided specification material showing the roofing material will be rubber and these will
be placed in the file.
The Administrator said the grading along the driveway has not been addressed. Mr.
Greene asked why a Total Suspended Solids (TSS) sheet for Bridgewater State College
was included, in the faxed material. This was removed as an error. Nancy Eaton stated
she had spoken with the Town Engineer on 10-18 regarding the entryway and whether he
was treating it as a driveway or intersecting way for purposes of grade. He stated he was
not treating it as an intersecting way and that the proposal meets town standards.
Delaney told her he is pleased with the revisions but is concerned about the actual
construction of the water quality basins and suggested having an engineer/inspector on
site during installation to monitor quality of subsurface materials and grades.
Nancy Eaton inquired about the TSS sheets and how calculations were taken into account
with respect to the Sunset Rock Lane Development. Mr. Alston stated that the volume
will not be reduced but the rate will decrease. Mr. Berry stated that at the site visit Mr.
Alston did inform him that the rate would be decreased but not the volume. They
discussed stone versus sand as a substrate and agreed that both will work and depends if
these areas are being used as sedimentation basins.
Ms. Eaton stated that unless overriding information is presented it is the Commission's
standard to condition the Order to require all stormwater management systems to be
constructed prior to other construction on site. Mr. Berry stated that this may not be the
best sequence as cert ain parts of the project need to be built together in order for it to
work properly. Mr. Pease stated that once a contractor is hired, they can work on
- sequencing. Ms. Eaton informed them they needed to produce a sequencing plan now or
get a contractor on board before the hearings were closed and the Commission drafted an
Order of Conditions, which will spell out how work on the project will proceed. She
informed the consultants that any changes to that order would require new hearings to
address any changes.
Mr. Berry stated the Commission is trying to get enough information to ensure that there
will be no erosion problems and that right now there is insufficient data. He hopes that
Nitsche will submit an erosion control/construction sequence plan to the Commission
prior to the close of hearing. Mr. Pease stated that the specifications state that the
contractor has to control erosion. Mr. Berry said the Commission needs to know how the
work will be sequenced because the contractor will perform minimal required. He agreed
that installing all stormwater management prior to building is not the way to go but
unless the applicant's representatives present a plan, the commission has to default to
their standard conditions. Mr. Berry asked the architect, Sid Bowen from Flansburgh,
whether just minimal standards were provided for the construction of the building and
explained that the Conservation Commission was not going to go by the minimal amount
of details for site work. Mr. Bowen stated that no matter if you provide minimum details
or maximum details, the contractor will not follow it and that you have to stay on top of
them all the time.
Ms. Eaton said she would be prepared to vote in the negative unless more information is
submitted and had never had an applicant before the commission who dragged their feet
on supplying requested information like this one.
With respect to the walkway from the driveway towards the detention area, this has been
changed from concrete/bituminous to stone dust. Ms. Eaton stated depending on the type
of material it may not be considered pervious. She also raised questions about access
paths from Fox Run and Dividence for students to reach the school. Consultants said
there was insufficient money and they had no leeway in total impervious allowed to
consider those alternatives.
With respect to proposed utility installations of water and gas from Dividence Road,
Eaton inquired why this was still 30' wide. Dividence is only an 18' paved way. Mr.
Dowhan stated the width is based upon the two lines being at least 10' apart and that they
needed room to do the installation. Ms. Eaton stated that sewer and water lines were laid
in public ways in 18-24" trenches and that the two lines could be installed within 13'.
Ms. Lloyd asked if the work could be done with 18' and Mr. Dowhan agreed to look at
that aspect of the work.
Mark Gillis raised the question from Town Engineer's letter regarding having Lot 7
Sunset Rock Lane surveyed. Mr. Dowhan stated their surveyor was denied access to do
_ -the work.
Harold Hulse, Consultant, noted that the Commission should require restoration to
original conditions, if contractors request after the fact plan, and then when original
conditions have been restored to consider the plan change.
Mr. Berry said the big issue is phasing of construction and hopes the applicant and
consultants will meet the Commission's request. Ms. Eaton requested that the centerlines
of roadways from Roma and Sunset and water quality swales be staked in the field prior
to the next site visit.
Public Comment: Billy Welch, Chapel Hill Drive followed up on notes from the last
minutes on Mr. Berry's questions: 1. Seasonal High Water - Mr. Berry stated this has
been addressed; 2. erosion controls - Mr. Berry stated it was still an issue to be
addressed; 3. blasting - Mr. Berry stated borings have been shown on the plans and his
questions have been answered. He stated the applicants would try to minimize blasting
as much as possible and he felt comfortable with the quantity and dealing with the effects
of blasting need to be addressed under erosion control. Mr. Dowhan stated they did not
have calculations for the total amount of blasting. Mr. Bowen said the contract calls for
3,000 cubic feet of rock to be removed off site.
Mr. Welch also had questions about the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) that is
part of the MEPA process. Total impervious area has been reduced. Other permits
required are not jurisdictional for the Conservation Commission. Natural Heritage &
Endangered Species Program has submitted a letter and the proposed project is not a
concern. Issues of transportation, shade trees and stone walls are not within the
Commission's jurisdiction. Slope of roadway banks as it affects drainage and erosion are
jurisdictional and additional information has been requested. He asked about drainage to
Lot 7 and Mr. Berry explained how the consulting engineer had redesigned it to a system
that will improve drainage.
Mike McCaffrey, Emerson Street asked that the large rocks at the end of Dividence Road
be returned to their current location after the installation of utilities are put in to prevent
vehicular traffic. He asked if abutters could be notified when erosion controls are
inspected and be present. He was directed to discuss this with the school department and
the Administrator. He asked that as many trees as possible be saved, especially at the
southeast corner. Mr. Dowhan agreed to look at that area again for access requirements
and grading. He was concerned that slopes on the east meet 3:1 requirements. He
inquired where the blasting would be done and what the requirements were. The Fire
Department has control over the blasting operations and blasting within 300' would
require abutters being offered preblasting surveys of their homes, but that other than
erosion control, it was not a conservation issue. Mr. McCaffrey asked about stockpiling
and he was told that the Commission's standard requirement was all materials must be
stockpiled at least 100' from any resource area and possibly be protected by haybales
and/or tarps. Details will be spelled out in the Order of Conditions.
--Marybeth Mola, Lot 7' 47 Sunset Rock Lane stated she did not receive a phone call from
the surveyor and the time he wanted to do the work was inconvenient for the
homeowners. She stated they were welcome to do the survey but wanted to coordinate
the work. Mr. Dowhan and Mr. Alston said they may want to wait until site work on Lot
7 is complete before surveying. They would also want to coordinate that work with
staking the roadway centerlines.
Bob Brown, Susan Drive raised concerns about the retention method in the northwest
portion of the lot and whether it was a terraced basin and the depth. The applicant is
trying to maximize the amount of usable space on the site and have proposed the terraced
design to allow for area to be used as play areas except during major storm events.
Smaller storm events will only fill the lowest terrace and will allow use of remaining
areas. Only the 100 year storm event will flow out onto the 2nd terrace. It will be a
grassed detention basin.
Mike Walsh, 19 Sunset Rock Lane inquired about the drainage. The Town Engineer has
checked all the new calculations. Lowest terraced area is three feet lower than the next
terrace. He expressed concerns for the safety of children.
Bill Welch raised questions about the removal of water from the building. During
construction and foundation installation, any groundwater will be pumped to a stilling
basin or other approved dewatering techniques. There will not be a basement in the
school so postconstruction water will not be an issue. He inquired about radon and was
told he should discuss that with the Board of Health as Conservation had no jurisdiction.
Discussed need for a continuance for applicant to submit additional information and
revised plans. Applicant/consultants will stake roadway centerlines and the two water
quality swales in the field prior to the Commission's field visit. Doug Greene moved to
continue the continued Public Hearing on DEP #270-341, RGB #2000-38 until
Wednesday, November 1, 2000 at 8:45 PM at the request of the applicant with no further
notice to abutters. Vote: 6-0-0.
Mr. Gillis returned the gavel to Nancy Eaton to Chair the remainder of the meeting.
8:30 PM Agenda Item - Continued Public Hearing, DEP #270-342, RGB #2000-39
Off Fairchild Drive/Van Norden Road. Applicant requested a continuance to complete
production of requested information until November 15, 2000. Mark Gillis moved and
Patricia Lloyd seconded a motion to grant a continuance at the request of the applicant to
November 15, 2000 at 8:00 PM with no further notice to abutters. Vote: 6-0-0.
OLD/NEW BUSINESS: Sunset Rock Lane - OOC Compliance Review and Bond
Appropriation - DEP #270-295; RGB #1997-26. Peter DeGennaro, Presidential
Development was present. Administrator said the recent work on Lot 7 was required
under the approved plan and Order of Conditions. The swale was not graded properly
and the engineers instructed Peter DeGennaro to fix it while they were on-site shooting
grades for the as-built plans. She instructed Dana to reinstall the silt fence at Lot 7 and 8
at the_limits of the Conservation Restriction. Commission noted that at least one bound
was within the upland portion. Mr. DeGennaro stated that he has signed Conservation
Restriction for Lot 3. Lots 7 and 9 are having them reviewed by their counsel. He still
owns 4 and 5 and can sign those. Grading has been done on Lots 2, 4 and 5 and
hydroseeding has been completed. As-builts are expected by 10-20. We cannot tell if
grades are correct without the as-built plans.
Administrator discussed removal of silt fences along stream crossing. Eaton
recommended that upstream of the crossing on Lots 8 and 9 could be removed but the
downstream side of the crossing and near Lot 3 may need to remain. Administrator
should inspect and make field determination and inform developer.
Mr. Kenney questioned the location of conservation restriction bounds at the rear of Lot 7
and couldn't find any marker at the stone wall. Mr. DeGennaro said there was a drill
hole. We discussed placing signage at that location to close line and alert owner and the
public to limits. Discussed cut vegetation placed over the silt fence into the conservation
restriction area. This needs to be removed. Roof tie-ins have been fixed at Lot 7 and 8.
Developer has received a final extension from CPDC until 10/30 to complete their work.
Conservation Commission agreed to give him an extension until November 1,, 2000 with
the condition that the following items be completed: Replant replication area with shrub
layer, have as-builts completed for all areas in subdivision, fix lot 7 grading, fix stone
within detention basin by outlet pipe, gave grants of conservation restrictions from all
new owners for Lots 3-9, fix silt fence where required and stabilize slopes.
Mr. DeGennaro requested replication planting advice. Administrator stated she spoke
with Libby from Hayes regarding recommendations and additional plantings and he
needs to speak with his consultant. Mr. Kenney advised him to plant more shrub layer
plantings and to work out the types and quantities with the Administrator and his
consultant based on the approval plan.
406 Haverhill Street - Request for Extension of Order of Conditions DEP #270-307,
RGS #1998-24. Applicant is having difficulty with right of way issues and the building
inspector and needs additional time. Mark Gillis moved and it was seconded that the
Commission extend the Order of Conditions from December 4, 2000 to December 4,
2001. Vote: 6-0-0.
Update - Tennessee Gas Pipeline. The Administrator informed the Commission that
she met with Ed Gorman and Steve Marowski of TGPL Company and she is going to
walk the easement and flag vernal pools so the crew can identify them in the field. They
will manually remove brush in those areas. Also, they plan on commencing the
maintenance of the gas line within the next three weeks. They will not be doing a filing
because maintenance activities are exempt from both the state and local regulations.
Administrator did discuss project and erosion control measures and stabilization
measures. They will do activity in 50' sections and close at the end of each day.; They
will use erosion control fencing, mats for equipment and will separate organic material
-from mineral material when excavating in order to back fill in the right way and
f
minimize impact of activity.
Open Space & Recreation Task Force. Nancy Eaton reported that the fmal draft for the
2000 Plan was being sent to the Task Force and commission members should be
receiving a draft within a month for review and comment.
Adjournment. Patricia Lloyd moved and it was seconded that there being no further
business to come before the Commission, the meeting be adjourned at 10:55 PM.
Vote: 6-0-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy L. Eaton, Chair, from notes of the Administrator