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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-07-09 Conservation Commission MinutesMinutes, Reading Conservation Commission, July 9, 2003 Minutes of the Reading Conservation Commission Selectman's Meeting Room; Town Hall ri u Wednesday, July 9, 2003; 7 PM tL t Present: Doug Greene, Chair; Pat Lloyd, Vice-Chair; Larry Goulet, Kelley Meier, Bill Hecht, Sr., Commissioners; Fran Fink, Administrator. Old/New Business Harvest Road, Order of Conditions, DEP 270-372, RGB 2002-17 The builder had requested permission to start framing. Several Commissioners expressed concerns about the health of the plants installed to stabilize the stream bank. The minimum 6-week waiting period to commence framing has not ended yet. The Commission will inspect the site again before the next meeting on July 23. In the meantime, the Administrator will contact Mr. Donovan to have him water the plants, toe in some loose silt fence, and remove a pile of wood chips. 32 Old Farm Road, Order of Conditions, DEP 270-392 Ms. Fink updated the Commission on status. 1375 Main Street, DEP 270-353, RGB 2001-11, Request for plan revision, retaining wall Mr. Van Dyne was present and submitted a plan for a retaining wall on the north side of the site. Ms. Fink recommended accepting the plan with certain requirements. Ms. Lloyd moved to accept the plan as an insignificant change, with the requirements. Mr. Hecht seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 36 Pitman Road, DEP 270-385, RGB 2002-36, Notice of Violation Kathy Guyot, architect, was present for applicants. Mr: Greene mentioned that most everything is fixed. The snow plow has been removed from the former patio, but not the stone dust. A dumpster is on site and in use. Ms. Fink has received the bond, but owners need to sign it. There was a planting plan sent in on Monday night, to be reviewed for July 23 meeting. Ms. Lloyd moved to release the cease and desist order and allow work to resume. Mr. Hecht seconded.. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. Pondview Lane, DEP 270-315, RGB 2000-52, Revised site plan for approval, Lot 3 Ms. Fink recommended adding filter fabric in stone drainage trench and constructing wall of mortared stone, concrete, or interlocking blocks. Ms. Lloyd moved to accept the revised site plan as insignificant change. Ms. Meier seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. Minutes, Reading Conservation Commission, July 9, 2003 7:27 PM - Public Hearing, Notice of Intent, 15 Timothy's Place, DEP 270-398, RGB 2003-16 The applicant asked to be continued for there is nothing new. Ms. Lloyd moved to continue the hearing to July 23, 2003 at 7:40 PM. Ms. Meier seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. Old/New Business Walkers Brook Drive reconstruction, DEP 270-385, RGB 200 - Pre-Construction submittals Ms. Fink updated the Commission. The contractor had not yet submitted expected materials. She will call Mr. Tanner to see what's going on. 1124 Main Street - Minor project The wooden staircase has been built. The applicant would like occupancy. Ms. Lloyd moved to sign off on the request for occupancy and to close the file. Mr. Goulet seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 340 Lowell Street The applicant received approval from the ZBA. They still owe the Commission the bond and a few other items before work can resume. Mrs. Fink will send a letter. 211 Pearl Street - New materials have been submitted and forwarded to Town Engineer for review. 7:39 PM - Public Hearing, Notice of Intent, Massapoag Realty Trust, RGB 2003-23, land between 51 and 65 Sanborn Lane Walter Eriksen and Steve Eriksen were present for the applicant. The RGB fee has been submitted. There is no DEP number yet and no comments from the Natural Heritage. There is nothing else new for this project. Ms. Lloyd moved to continue the Public Hearing to July 23 at 7:50 PM. Mr. Hecht seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. Old/New Business Leaning Elm Drive The applicant would like to remove a dead tree as a Minor Project. Ms. Lloyd moved to approve the permit. Mr. Hecht seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 7:48 PM - Public Hearing, Notice of Intent, David B. Johnson, RGB 2003-27,48 Whittier Road Mr. Johnson presented the plan. The house is in poor condition and he would like to build a new house in the location - a colonial. The house would be a little larger than the current house. The total proposed cover 1400 square feet. The existing septic system will be abandoned and the new house will be tied into Town Sewer. The driveway will be bigger than the current one is. There won't be any blasting on the site. The closest_ well is 700 feet away on Main Street. Mr. Johnson feels that this is pretty straight- forward. 2 Minutes, Reading Conservation Commission, July 9, 2003 Mr. Greene spoke about the site visit. There was no problem with the wetland delineation. Ms. Fink went over the memo that was passed out at the beginning of the meeting. There are mature trees towards the front, if any of them could be saved would be good. This provides more than the standard setback. Public. Comment: Marie Silvagi, 74 Whittier Road - Has lived there for 39 years. Wetland area is prone to flooding especially south end near Birch Meadow Drive. Some residents have to pump basements. They don't want any more water damage in the neighborhood due to the proposed construction. John Silvagi, 74 Whittier Road - Can person who does not own site apply for permit? (Commission said yes.) Carol 52 Whittier Road - Doesn't get any water in her basement, but concerned about flooding in neighborhood. Mr. Goulet said the Commission will require a well developed roof runoff recharge system and soil testing. This will offset the bigger footprint. Mr. Johnson said the work will not make the area any wetter, but also noted that it will not make it drier. Mr. Greene,- can address concerns about blasting in Conditions of Order. Mr. Johnson said soils test done to date have not found any bedrock needing blasting. Can use hammer to remove instead of blasting if needed. Marie Silvagi, 74 Whittier Road - Described a proposal for a subdivision in early 1970's and engineering analysis of neighborhood hydrology at that time. Only built 3 houses where 5 had been proposed. Abutter - Any fill proposed in lower lawn? asked how close water comes to stone wall. but not into lower back lawn. 4 Mr. Johnson answered "no". Mrs. Fink Abutter down hill said it comes up to wall Ms. Fink recommended that hearing be continued for soils test and drainage design. Ms. Lloyd moved. to continue the Public Hearing to July 23 at 8 PM. Mr. Hecht seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 8:28 PM - Public Hearing, Notice of Intent and Resource Area Delineation, land between 201 and 275 Salem Street, RGB 2003-28 There is no DEP number for this yet. Rich Stuart and John Collins, applicants, were present: Peter Gammie (Design Consultants), Mary Trudeau (wetlands delineator), and Joe O'Brien (Lightship were 3 Minutes, Reading Conservation Commission, July 9, 2003 Mr. Gammie presented the Notice of Intent. First purpose is to confirm wetland resource area delineations. Second is to permit removal of fill containing hazardous materials. The southern end of the property is wetlands, including stream, riverfront area, bordering vegetated wetland, floodplain, and buffer zone. They are looking to remove a section of buffer zone that contains contaminated fill near the DMV. Mr. Greene reported on Commission site visit and questioned certain flags. Mrs. Lloyd agreed and said some of herbaceous layer visible now might not have been there at end of last year's dry summer when flags were first set. Mary Trudeau agreed to go out with the Commission again. She did do some soils testing and her notes indicated historic fill and dry conditions that made delineation more difficult than usual. Ms. Fink also questioned flagging and agreed another site visit was needed for the BVW line. She reviewed the history of filling on the site and reports to DEP since discovery of hazardous wastes last fall. She recommended waiting to issue the Order of Conditions until the applicant files the pending detailed work plan with DEP and the Commission. Joe O'Brien described the details of the removal process. They will remove the upper 12 inches of the fill, known to be contaminated, then test underlying fill and remove more if needed. The fill is three feet deep. They will use dust control, air quality monitoring, sorting equipment to separate soil from rubbish, plastic sheeting to contain soils until disposal. Public Comment: John Pino, 6 Libby Ave - Asked where initial test borings have been done on site and whether there are contaminants beyond the area proposed for work in the NOI. Mr. O'Brien said his firm had concentrated on the area near the DMV because of obvious fill, debris, and stressed vegetation there. Another firm had done initial testing on site. Mr. Pino said he used to skate and go boating on this site, but it has been filled in over last 30 years. Charlie Verner, 232 Salem Street - Was that stuff there when•Dunkin' Donuts was put in? Philip Perrange, 26 Johanna Drive - Asked whether contaminants had migrated into wetland and whether wetland had been tested. Would like the whole area cleaned instead of just half. Mr. ;O'Brien said they were only testing in the filled places. PCB's bind to soil particles and do not travel with groundwater. They will conduct additional sampling below and around the fill site and do further cleanup if needed. Mr. Perrange asked whether work would affect water table elevation. Mr. O'Brien said no, all material is above table. Denise , 30 Johanna Drive Has lived at Johanna Drive for 18 years. The water is at an all-time low from drought. Her property has sunk because subdivision was built on peat. Has seen more wildlife since they started the landfill project. Steve McLaughlin, 195 Salem Street - Contractor used this area for a staging area when Route 129 was rebuilt recently. Left behind fresh fill near stream/flags 35-45. 4 Minutes, Reading Conservation Commission, July 9, 2003 Concerned about maintaining street trees and other trees on site. Mr. O'Brien said fill is placed over trees, so not likely to hurt during removal. Ms. Lloyd moved to continue the Public Hearing to July 23 at 8:10 PM. Mr. Hecht seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 9:16 PM - Public Hearing, Notice of Intent, Town of Reading Public Works Department, RGB 2003-29, Cross-Country water main installation from Ash Street to Walkers Brook Drive There is no DEP number. Jeff Provost and Leah Hines (Weston and Sampson) represented the Town of Reading, along with Jim Richardson from the Water Department. Mr. Provost described proposed work. This is in the 100-foot buffer zone. There will be 2300 linear feet of pipe. There are a few critical areas that will require hay bales. There is no contractor yet. There is a 30-inch sewer in the area. It would take one to two weeks for the water main to be installed, after clearing and grubbing. Dewatering will be through closed basin to capture sediments. Final grades to be same as original. Will be seeded to stabilize soils. Do not expect to encounter ledge, based on records from installation of sewer pipe. Work will be done by an outside contractor, not DPW. Trench will be backfilled with native soil. Ms. Fink submitted a memo and reviewed various details in it.. She had walked this area last fall with Mr. Richardson and Weston and Sampson. Not all of work area is buffer zone. Some is BVW and almost all is floodplain. There are questions about how the pipe will be routed through the Aristonics site, where a number of obstacles have been placed within the easement by the owner. The applicant is working with the owner on a final design. Public Comment: Bernard Swampton, 362 Ash Street - Asked how close to his fence the pipe will be. Mr. Provost showed him site plan. Asked whether fence would be repaired if damaged. Ms. Hines said yes. Asked how many trees to be removed. Ms. Hines said the minimum needed to install pipe. Asked when project starts. Ms. Hines said project will start around Labor Day and work five days a week. Ms. Lloyd moved to continue the public hearing to July 23, 2003 at 8:20 PM. Ms. Meier seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 9:45 PM - Public Hearing, Notice of Intent, Petroleum Group Exxon, 8 Walkers Brook Drive, RGB 2003-30 There is no DEP number for this yet. Matt Smith from Bohler Engineering was present on behalf of Joe Prizio, operator, also present.. Mark Favaloro also present for Mr. Prizio. 1YU. CHUM YrcSciucu Plan Lo convert gas station to convenience store. Ile reviewed some changes made per CPDC conditions. They are taking out some pavement on the 5 Minutes, Reading Conservation Commission, July 9, 2003 southerly side of the property and reducing impervious cover by 1500 square feet. Parking lot runoff will be treated in new street drainage system already approved. There are two existing dry wells for canopy roof runoff. Ms. Fink reviewed her memo. The back end of the property slopes down a little bit and they might be able to put in a little basin to catch the roof water. Ms. Lloyd moved to continue the Public Hearing to July 23 at 8:30 PM. Mr. Hecht seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. Ms. Lloyd made a motion to adjourn at 10:12 PM. Ms..Meier seconded. Voted in favor, 5-0-0. 6