CONSERVATION
COMMISSION
P.O. BOX 308
Wednesday, December 7,
2005
7:00 p.m. Town
Hall
Chairman Joan
Formeister called the regular meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Members Joan
Formeister, Dan Fraro, Karl Walton and Lise Wood were present and constituted a
quorum. Also present: Wetlands Agent David Askew.
A motion was
made by Karl Walton, seconded by Lise Wood and unanimously voted to take the
agenda out of order.
II.
OLD
BUSINESS
b.
Discussion/Possible Decision:
Wetlands Application #528, 25-lot Subdivision, Battle Street,
Leno
Sandy Aeschliman presented plans on
behalf of Ric Leno, KRL Builders, which include 25 lots situated on 60 acres
located north of Eleanor Lane.
Gillette’s Brook passes through the 2 parcels comprising the proposed
subdivision. Much of the area is
wetland. David Askew checked a NRCS
flood study of the 100-year flood zone and 3 of the lots are substantially
impacted.
There is the possibility of having some
flood water storage as mitigation within the upland review area. Mitigation options must be explored
before approval.
David Askew noted that some of the lots
are too tight to fit any appurtenant structures (ie. sheds, gazebos, pools,
etc.). He noted this to be a
potential problem for Lots 12, 16, 18, 19 and 20. Mr. Aeschliman suggested that perhaps a
stipulation could be included that such structures could not be included on
these sites, but Mr. Askew said unfortunately homeowners tend to ignore such
stipulations and they are difficult to enforce.
Mr. Askew has recommended putting a
hydrodynamic separator in prior to the detention basin to remove solids as a
pretreatment. Annual maintenance of
the separators will be required for them to remain
effective.
There is also a potential vernal pool on
Lot 16, but this cannot be determined for certain until April or
May.
It was the consensus of the Commission to
request an extension of time on the application and Mr. Leno agreed to submit a
letter to that effect.
c.
Other - No
other Old Business was presented.
a.
Determination of Permitted Use as of Right for Logging Activity &
Temporary Stream Crossings, 110 Long Hill, Moghul
A harvest plan
was presented by Logger Stephen McEwen.
The plan showed the specific areas already harvested prior to the
applicant’s coming before the Commission, as well as the additional areas to be
harvested. The wetter, more vulnerable areas were cut in July, when it was as
dry. He also explained that there
is an intermittent stream which has been crossed once during
harvesting.
Joan Formeister
and Dave Askew have walked the site with Mr. McEwen and where Mr. McEwen crossed
the stream previously is not suitable.
Mr. Askew suggested that he move further downstream. Perforated hemlock bridges are to be
used so that they can span the whole way without having to put anything into the
stream. Discussion followed that
downstream, where there is a higher grade along the edge, a bridge could be used
and no disturbance, such as mud, would be pushed into the
stream.
Two-thirds of
the marketable timber is to be cut, and Mr. McEwen expects to leave the
remaining one-third. All smaller
trees will be left as well.
Mr. Askew asked
that he be notified before any further logging is done so that he can check the
ground. It was made clear to Mr.
McEwen that the Commission should have been contacted prior to any logging
activity taking place.
Mrs. Formeister
presented a copy of a letter she sent to the applicant dated November 28, 2005,
notifying him of this meeting and urging him to attend.
Fred
Thompson, 54 Green Tree Lane, asked about the logging and its effect
on the property. Mr. McEwen
explained that two thirds of the marketable timber has been logged from that
area already.
Vinny
Lockwood, 60 Green Tree Lane, asked if there were concerns about
erosion. David Askew replied that
has looked over most of the site and has asked that one area be repaired, which
it now has been. While there are
still some areas he needs to check, all of the top areas have been looked at and
are ok. Mr. Walton added that the
area should recover quickly with ground cover.
Mr. McEwen noted
that he left a buffer of between 25 and 30 feet for the abutters on Green Tree
Lane. He explained the law states
that he can take every other tree right up to the boundary lines, but he did not
do that.
Dan DeWitt,
175 Mountain Road, asked
what impact there would be on water quality and the aquifer. He was also concerned about an increase
in runoff. Mr. Askew said that
water quality would not change, but there may be a change in the water runoff
amount. Mr. McEwen responded that
he has been careful not to clear cut the property, which will help prevent
excessive runoff.
Mr. Askew noted
that the logging appeared to be a permitted use of right and the crossing is
fine as long as it is only temporary.
Mr. McEwen explained that he will remove all the crossing bridge material
and will hay the area well.
Mr. Askew has
contacted DEP to let them know of the logging activities and they may decide to
inspect the area. Mr. McEwen also
noted that he is licensed with the Department of Environmental
Protection.
A motion was
made by Karl Walton, seconded by Lise Wood and unanimously voted to determine
that the logging activity is the landowner’s permitted use of right.
b.
Wetlands Application #529, New House in Upland Review Area, Manse Hill
Road (Michelson-Dera Property), Pioneer Builders of Ellington,
Inc.
Jay Ussery, J.R.
Russo Associates, presented plans for the applicants. The property is located at the end of a
cul-de-sac included in a subdivision approved in 1983. The 9-acre lot has frontage along Durkee
Road and consists of mostly wetlands affiliated with the Scantic River. The applicant is proposing building a
2,100 square-foot, one-story home and separate garage. A portion of the house is within the
upland review area. The home size
is quite manageable for a lot of this size, and has a walkout basement which
utilizes the sloped landscape and is above the 100-year flood elevation. The lot itself is very
wooded.
Access from
Durkee Road might appear easier, but there would have been substantial
disturbance to the wetland with a major crossing.
Steve Jacobs is
currently reviewing the septic system, which is located outside of the buffer
zone.
The wetland
areas are to be tagged so that subsequent owners will know where the wetlands
are.
II.
OLD
BUSINESS
a.
Discussion/Possible Decision:
Wetlands Application #524, Grading in Upland Review Area, Pond Dredging
& Filing of Wetland, 164 Hampden Road, Grower Direct
Mike Mocko
presented plans on behalf of the applicant and reviewed the basic proposed
outline with the Commission. The
total square footage of wetland impact is 34,750. Mr. Askew noted that the mitigation
“credit” from the pond is 7,182 square feet. Therefore, approximately 27,000 square
feet of mitigation is required.
Mr. Mocko
reported that the applicant has talked about putting in a pond in the front of
the parcel near the current growing beds.
Mr. Askew replied that he is not generally in favor of creating ponds in
cold water streams.
The applicant
has also suggested that he could make a swamp area which would have some flood
mitigation to it and could serve as a flood storage area. The wetlands would come off the side of
the stream so when the stream jumps its bank, it will
fill.
Mr. Askew noted
that the proposal is a logical extension of existing activities. Flood mitigation in this watershed maybe
beneficial, given the recent flooding.
Mr. Askew
recommended that the wetland on the south side of the property be monumented
along the border every 100 feet, plus at all major corners. Monuments must be tied into existing
surveyed points.
A motion was
made by Karl Walton and seconded by Dan Fraro to approve Wetlands Application
#524, with the conditional approval of 27,000 square feet of mitigation, and
that the wetland boundary area be monumented along the border every 100 feet,
plus at all major corners, with standard survey monuments. The monumentation is to be surveyed and
tied into existing structures and a mitigation plan must be submitted by July
30, 2006. The vote was 3 in favor
and 1 opposed (Formeister) and the motion carried.
c.
Review/Adopt 2006 Meeting Dates
A motion was
made by Karl Walton, seconded by Lise Wood and unanimously voted to adopt the
meeting dates as proposed.
d.
Other
Joan Formeister
reported that she went to the Wildlife Habitation Presentation in Tolland and
briefly described the presentation.
There was no new
information to present.
David Askew
presented his report for review. It
was noted that much of the current activity is still the result of the October
rain storms. A motion was made by
Karl Walton, seconded by Lise Wood and unanimously voted to accept Mr. Askew’s
report as presented.
Mr. Askew added
that there is a new permit issue regarding a house lot on Greystone Farms. He has asked the applicant to submit an
application and come before the Commission.
A bill was
presented for the Wetland’s Agent in the amount of $4,875.00 covering the period
of July through December 2005. A
motion was made by Lise Wood, seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously voted to pay
the bill as presented.
The following changes were made to the
September 7, 2005 minutes, both on the first page: First paragraph, first line, after the word "behalf" changed to
the word "of” and the fourth paragraph, second line, "Carl" changed to "Karl".
A
motion was made by Karl Walton, seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously voted to
approve the minutes of the September 7, 2005 meeting as
amended.
A
motion was made by Dan Fraro, seconded by Lise Wood and unanimously voted to
approve the October 12, 2005 minutes as written.
A motion was
made by Karl Walton, seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously voted to adjourn the
December 7, 2005 Conservation Commission meeting at 9:01
p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Lise Wood,
Secretary
Robin Timmons, Recording Secretary
MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVAL
AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.