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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-08-02 Conservation Commission MinutesMinutes of the Conservation Commission Town of Reading O t V IN CLERK A ~ A S S Selectmen's Meeting Room RE Wednesday, August 2, 2000 - 7:00 PM 2001 FEB 13 P 4: 41 Present: Nancy Eaton, Chair, William Finch, Thad Berry and Patricia Lloyd, Vincent Falcione, Commissioners; Leo Kenney Consultant; Karen DeFrancesco, Administrator Absent: Mark Gillis, Vice Chair, and Douglas Greene, Commissioners and Harold Hulse, Consultant 7:05 PM - Presentation - Gold Award Project - Pinevale Conservation Area - Alexis Horn. Ms. Horn distributed copies of her flyer to the Commission. She explained her work dates of August 5 and 12 and what would be accomplished each day. On the Stn the first crew will mark the trail width. The second crew will work on the log or bridge crossings. On the 12th the 1St crew will clear the trail and the second crew will work on the boardwalk, which will be built from donated logs. After the workdays are complete, she will make a revised map of the trails. The Chair donated $20 to buy blazing paint for this and future projects. Motion was made and seconded that the Commission approve the Gold Award trail project at Pinevale Conservation Area. Vote: 5-0-0. 7:20 PM - RGB 2000-31 Waverly Road - proposed water main construction - Joe Delaney, Town Engineer was present for the Town. The project will loop the water main in the roadway. Haybales will be placed as directed by the Administrator. In response to the Chair's questions, stilling basins will handle dewatering if necessary and stockpiling will not be necessary. Lou White of 11 Hillside Road said he had talked with Don Nadeau, former Administrator, about having the area cleaned up. Mr. Nadeau said he would request DPW to do the work. The Chair had no recollection of discussing this site, but it could have been on the agenda. Mr. Delaney had a slight recollection that they cleaned a drainage swale. Mr. White said if we drafted a letter to send to the abutters on Waverly and Hillside about not dumping, he would pay for the postage. He is not sure who is doing the dumping. The Chair said if he saw someone, to let the Administrator know and get a car license or street address of that person. There is a fine of up to $300 a day for dumping in the wetlands. Complaint calls can be made confidentially. Motion was made and seconded to close the Public Hearing. Vote: 5-0-0. Motion was made and seconded to issue a Negative Determination with the following conditions: erosion controls and dewatering plan. Vote: 5-0-0. Old/New Business: Plan Change Request - DEP 279-338, RGB 2000-7 Walkers Brook Drive sewer. Joseph Delaney, Town Engineer requested permission to move the haybales to accommodate the swing of the equipment and better protect the wetland Plan Change is insignificant. Vote: 5-0-0. P&S - Lowell Street - Route 129 Reconstruction - Mr. Falcione asked Mr. Delaney when the modification work was going to take place. He has scheduled a meeting with the State Engineer to walk the entire project. 7:35 PM - Public Meeting - RGB 2000-29, 76 Willow Street, Lucian Fresco, Proposed 20' x 28' stone driveway and 28' x 20' concrete patio. Mr. Fresco briefly described the proposed work. The Administrator updated the Commission on the site. Eaton said she did not have an issue with the stairs or concrete patio but is concerned about the driveway and the potential harm to the tree roots. Carol McGurn, 80 Willow Street said she is concerned about the water table and the effect this work will have on flooding in the area. The Chair explained that under zoning laws, homeowners in this area may have 25% impervious lot coverage and the crushed stone for the driveway is considered impervious. Ms. McGurn also raised questions about the sewer easement, which were briefly addressed, but are irrelevant to the proposed work. Right now the roots of the red maples are exposed. Mr. Kenney recommended doing what was best for the trees but he wasn't sure what that was. Thad Berry said you wouldn't lay 3/4" stone in loam but put sand down as the base and put the stone on top of it. Mr. Falcione asked about compaction. Mr. Berry stated sand has an 80% compaction rate so the sand would protect the roots and allow them to get water. The Chair asked Mr. Fresco if he could reduce the size of the driveway to bring it away from the base of the trees. Vincent Falcione moved and the motion was seconded to close the Public Meeting. Vote: 5-0-0. Vincent Falcione moved and the motion was seconded that the Commission approve a Negative Determination with the following conditions: pull back the driveway activity 5' from the trunks of the red maple trees; lay a sand base before the stone is placed for proper compaction; remainder of area be layered with loam to match the grade before the unapproved activity; remove the debris in the wetlands under the supervision of the Administrator, stabilize any disturbed areas. Vote: 5-0-0. 8:00 PM - Public Meeting - RGB 2000-30, 93 Fairchild Drive, Kristen and James Pluntze, Proposed 24' x 8' roofed porch. Mr. Pluntze described the project to install a front porch. The wetland resource area is to the rear of the house. Administrator said there was no adverse impacts. Vincent Falcione moved and the motion was seconded to close the Public Meeting. Vote: 5-0-0. Vincent Falcione moved and the motion was seconded that the Commission approve a Negative Determination with the conditions that and excess material will be removed from the site and any exposed areas will be stabilized. Vote: 5-0-0. 8:05 Plan Change Request - DEP 270,322, RGB 1999-24, Lot 3, Timothy's Place, Proposed Deck and grading changes. Kevin Cuniff described the proposed plan changes: Addition of a deck to the rear of the house; and raising the garage floor so the driveway drainage flows to the street. Nancy Eaton asked about the bumpout shown on the back on the new plan. Mr. Cuniff said the front bumpout was eliminated and on the back it overhangs the proposed deck 1.5 feet. The Administrator noted the grading to the existing 190 contour is showing grading to the top of haybales causing a change in the 3:1 slope requirement. Thad Berry discussed grading at the rear to meet the 3"1 slope to 190 at the haybale line and revising the grades at the outlet basin. Will Finch moved and the motion was seconded that the Commission find the proposed Plan changes with the grading amendments and work on the right-of--way grading to be - worked out with the Administrator and submit a new plan be deemed an insignificant plan change. Vote: 5-0-0. 8:25 PM Presentation - Proposed Eagle Scout Project - Bryan Cloonan. Mr. Cloonan described his proposed Eagle Project at A. J. Schneider Woods off Haverhill Street: pruning trails, fix the degraded bridge, mark the boundaries and clean up debris and trash. The Administrator said the project had just come in and she had reviewed the plan with the scout and didn't feel it met the requirements for an Eagle Project. Mr. Berry said he thought it was a great project. The Chair discussed other Conservation Area projects that would provide greater community service at Bare Meadow, Marion Woods, and Higgins Conservation Areas. Pat Lloyd said while the Commission felt another area would be more appropriate, we did appreciate his interest. Mr. Cloonan said he would look into doing something at Bare Meadow and would contact the Administrator. Old/New Business: Minor Projects: Motion was made and seconded to approve the Administrator's Sign-off of Minor Projects at 891 Main Street, 39 Old Farm Road, and 97 Arcadia. Vote: 5-0-0. Dividence Road School site - The Chair updated the Commission on the boring work that took place. The activity is exempt under the state regulations but is not included in the Minor Project Sign-off authority delegated to the Administrator and that the local regulations need to be revised. She said how the Commission deals with this project should be a standard for any future similar projects. Mr. Finch stated that the work was not a big disturbance. Motion was made and seconded to approve the boring work as a Minor Project and delegate that authority to the Administrator for this project. Vote: 5-0-0. Plan Change Request - DEP 270-331, RGB 2000-04 -101 Willow Street, proposed weir modifications. Applicant proposes to replace square orifice weirs with circular weirs, as the original item is not available. There is a letter from the engineer stating the capacity and functioning would not change. After reviewing the file, Thad Berry said he did not see an issue. Vincent Falcione moved and the motion was seconded that the Commission find the proposed plan change is insignificant. Vote: 5-0-0. 9:10 PM Land Swap - 695 Pearl Street. Richard Harper, owner of land proposed to be swapped was present and given copies of the Site Notes. The Chair reviewed the proposed land swap activity in 1992 and rejection by the state Division of Conservation Services as not being of equal value. Mr. Harper said the land swap had been going on since 1972. He alleged that the Town Meeting vote does not say how much land he has to swap. He discussed the drainage coming onto his property by DPW street drains and that if the land swap doesn't occur, he will sue the town for water dumping. Pat Lloyd chair reviewed the recent offer by Mr. Harper to pay for appraisals and that the Commission had no funds to pay for one of them. The Commission discussed the fact that we could not resolve his drainage issues with DPW. He will need to decide what course of action he wants to follow in that regard. Thad Berry told Mr. Harper that the Commission could only act on the land swap. The proponent needs to get appraisals to show the equal land values. Eaton explained in 1992 the Rifle Club paid for the appraisals that were done on their land swap as well as the Harper proposal and that donation of funds had been expended. She stated the Commission has to act within regulations and have to follow the guidelines. The Chair explained the appraisal requirements of the state and that the Commission could not alter their standards. Mr. Harper retorted that the Commission would not help him with his water issue. Several Commissioners said the Commission could not. Mr. Berry suggested Mr. Harper come back after he had resolved his drainage issues if he was still interested in pursuing the land swap and appraisals. 9:40 PM Conservation Division Goals. The Commission reviewed the 14 item list the Administrator had prepared and discussed passage of the Community Preservation Act and if adopted locally, on a referendum ballot, funding for open space, historic preservation and affordable housing. Pat Lloyd said she would send grant opportunities to the Administrator. Minutes. A motion was made and seconded to approve the Minutes of January 19, 2000 and February 2, 2000 as drafted. Vote: 5-0-0. USGS Study is looking for sites that local Commissions would like determinations on perennial versus intermittent streams. Mr. Kenney suggested the Aberjona was perennial - all the way to Imagination Station at Birch Meadow. Pleasant Street is intermittent by a DEP decision but may be perennial further downstream. Also suggested the stream crossing by 51 Sanborn. The Administrator will draft a response. Miscellaneous. Leo Kenney informed the Commission he planned to use the Right of Way access across Timothy's Place, Lot 3 to access the vernal pools in North Cedar Swamp with his field biology class in the coming year. The Board of Selectmen will be meeting on September 12th to discuss tax title parcels. Will Finch updated the Commission on the Public Involvement Plan meeting of 8-1-00 for the Tier 1 A sites in Wilmington and North Reading. The Chair on behalf of the Commission welcomed Thad Berry to membership on the Commission. Adjournment. Pat Lloyd moved and the motion was seconded to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 PM. Vote: 5-0-0. Respectfully submitted, Nancy L. Eaton, Chair, from the notes of the Administrator