SOMERS,
CT 06071
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 2, 2007
TOWN
HALL – 7:00 P.M.
Chairman Joan Formeister
called the regular meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Members Candace Aleks, Henry Broer, Joan
Formeister, Dan Fraro and Karl Walton were present and constituted a
quorum. Wetland Agent David Askew
was also present.
II. OLD
BUSINESS
a.
Wetlands Application #572, Installation of Inground Pool and Grading in
Upland Review Area, 43 Hickory Hill Drive (Property of Cass), Vernon
Poolman
David
Askew reviewed plans with the Commission.
He re-visited the site today because it was still frozen the last time he
inspected the area. The area to be
graded adjacent to the pool is a moderately well drained soil but is not
wetland. Mr. Askew has no issues
with the application.
A
motion was made by Karl Walton, seconded by Candy Aleks and unanimously voted to
approve Vernon Poolman’s Wetlands Application #572 for installation of an
in-ground pool and grading in an upland review area at 43 Hickory Hill Drive
(Property of Cass), with the condition that silt fence be installed around the
perimeter of the construction area to protect the stream.
b.
Wetlands Application #573, Expansion of Gravel Excavation Operation, 516
Somers Road, Charter
Mr.
Askew reviewed the plans for the expansion of the gravel operation within an
existing farm field. The proposed
operation is located between Abbe Brook and a tributary of Abbe Brook. Mr. Askew recommends that a line of silt
fence in front of a line of hay bales be installed before excavation to protect
the area.
Mrs.
Formeister noted that Mr. Strauss has suggested a berm for erosion control be
installed. Mr. Askew explained that
hay bales and fencing allows filtration without causing ponding. He also noted that water will be
directed to two sedimentation basins within the gravel mining
area.
A
motion was made by Karl Walton, seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously voted to
approve Charter’s Wetlands Application #573 for expansion of the gravel
excavation operation at 516 Somers Road, with the provision that a silt fence
and hay bale barrier be erected prior to excavation around the perimeter of the
proposed excavation.
c.
Wetlands Application #574, New House in Upland Review Area, 54 Horseshoe
Lane, Granger Homes
The
Commission previously approved filling in the area and Mr. Askew explained that
the applicant is now proposing a house lot. The site is at the end of the cul-de-sac
in the Partridge Run Subdivision.
Grading adjacent to the garage is within the upland review area. There is currently a line of silt fence
along the area and no pre-construction meeting is needed. David Askew recommends that the border
of the wetlands be marked along the side yard.
A
motion was made by Karl Walton, seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously voted to
approve Granger Homes’ Wetlands Application #574 for a new house in an upland
review area at 54 Horseshoe Lane, with the provision that the existing silt
barriers be maintained and that the border of the wetlands be marked along the
southwest end of the property with badging deemed appropriate by David
Askew.
d.
Other
– There was no other Old Business.
III. NEW
BUSINESS
a.
Wetlands Application #575, Drainage System in Upland Review Area, 455
Ninth District Road, Bernier
The
application was presented by John Martucci, LBM Engineering, who is working with
Sandy Aeschliman. The 6-lot
subdivision is proposed on a 30-acre lot situated on the southeast side of Ninth
District Road. The subdivision
includes a 550-foot cul de sac.
There is an existing house and 2 barns on the site. Lot 5 includes a barn to be converted
into a home. Another proposed lot
will contain the existing house.
The parcel has no wetlands.
Only the proposed drainage system along Ninth District Road is located
within the upland review area of an intermittent stream located on a property to
the north. The lots will be served
by septic systems and wells. One
lot will front on Ninth District Road.
CL&P has a right of way which includes 14 of the 30 acres. There are about 6 acres to be developed
and the actual road pavement will consist of about 4 tenths of an
acre.
Mr.
Martucci explained the proposed drainage system. The site is served by a 22-foot wide
paved road with curbs. A small
detention pond is proposed on Ninth District Road to keep the peak runoff at or
below the existing rate.
The
detention pond will discharge into a new stormwater drainage system on Ninth
District Road. The drainage system
will extend along Ninth District Road to an existing 24-inch cross culvert. The cross culvert brings a recently
excavated ditch across the street.
Then it drains across the field and into an un-named tributary of Abbe
Brook.
There
will be a series of catch basins installed along Ninth District Road. A hydrodynamic separator will be
installed in-line at the end of the system to treat the water quality flow for
the DEP’s water quality volume requirements of 80% removal of total suspended
solids. The 6 or 7 basins in the
new road will have 4-foot sumps to collect course sediments. The basins in Ninth District Road will
all have 2-foot sumps. The catch
basins should generally be cleared out two times a year, depending upon
inflows.
No
other issues were identified by the Commission.
b.
Wetlands Application #576, Senior Housing Project in Upland Review Area,
63 Battle Street, Town of Somers
Henry
Torcellini from Gardner & Peterson Associates, LLC, Harvey Edelstein and
Leonard Slaga, Chairman of the Housing Authority, presented plans for the
redevelopment of the existing 54 senior housing units on Battle Street. An additional 34 units will also be
constructed in the future. The
Housing Authority owns about 8 acres and the project with encompass about 13.2
additional acres.
The
Town Sanitarian and the DEP have tested the area and found about 20 feet of sand
and gravel above the water table.
The ultimate plan includes adding two 34-unit buildings and a number of
single duplexes or triplexes at the back of the site. With this application, they are seeking
to rehab the existing units which are about 400 square feet. The units will be increased in size to
about 720 square feet. The current
number of units will decrease from 54 to 52.
The
site is bounded on the north by Gillette Brook and is situated on a plateau
containing an old cornfield. They
have marked out the wetlands. The
site has 2 pools of standing water between the existing housing and the
cemetery. The larger of the ponds
is a confirmed vernal pool. The
status of the smaller one has not been confirmed – a few fairy and tadpoles were
observed by the project soil scientist.
The larger pond takes storm drainage from the cemetery. The other pond takes flow from the road
and off site.
Mr.
Askew noted that if the smaller pool is in fact a vernal pool it is probably not
that productive, as he has investigated the pool during prior spring breeding
seasons and has not observed any substantial activity. No egg masses have been observed. He asked that the toe of the proposed
fill area be staked out to so the exact location can be identified relative to
the pool. The larger vernal pool
appears to be moderately productive.
No new activity is proposed close to the pool. The existing stormwater outlet will be
reinforced with rip-rap to protect against scouring.
There
are 9 monitoring levels for ground water.
The general flow is toward the northwest and ultimately runs out to
Gillette’s Brook.
After
Mr. Askew reviews the staked location of the proposed fill, he will provide
additional comment to the applicant.
c.
Other
– There was no other New Business.
David Askew presented the
Wetland Agent’s Report. The site
showing was last Tuesday for the Gulf Road and Stafford Road flood projects and
work is expected to begin soon.
Schneider Road hasn’t had a showing yet, but all the easements have been
obtained.
The
project on Jalbert Road had some erosion issues due to the last rainfall and
they are in the process of putting back the silt fence and cleaning up the
road.
Grower Direct was inspected
after the last rainfall and the sediment basins are working well and the pond
look relatively clear.
A
homeowner on Stillmeadow Lane is clearing behind his property along 6 or 7
acres. The area is wet, but no
wetland soils have been identified.
Mr. Askew has recommended that the landowner assess drainage issues
before continuing.
A
homeowner on Main Street is concerned about a groundwater seep near Dunkin
Donuts along South Road. He also
expressed concern about a downed tree within Gulf Brook. After inspecting photos provided by Mr.
Askew, it was the consensus of the Commission that the tree and debris should be
removed from the center of the brook, provided that roots are left in
place.
A
motion was made by Dan Fraro, seconded by Karl Walton and unanimously voted to
approve the Wetland Agent’s Report.
A
letter dated April 18, 2007, was received and read from Attorney John Parks
regarding Bernier’s Wetlands Application #455 on Ninth District
Road.
A
change was made to the April 4, 2007 meeting under the Call to Order
section. Louis Lipton was welcomed
as a new Alternate Member, rather than as a new Member, and the minutes were
corrected to reflect this.
A
motion was made by Dan Fraro, seconded by Candy Aleks and unanimously voted to
approve the minutes as corrected.
A
motion was made by Karl Walton, seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously voted to
adjourn the May 2, 2007 Conservation Commission meeting at 8:34
p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Candace
Aleks, Secretary
Robin Timmons, Recording Secretary
MINUTES
ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVAL AT A SUBSEQUENT
MEETING.