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MEETING: Conservation
DATE:
May 14, 2008 - 07:00 PM |
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Minutes
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Minutes of Conservation Commission
May 14, 2008
Continuation Public Hearing – Baystate Gas, Brook Street
At 7:15 p.m. Chair, George Kingston continued the hearing for Brook Street and said that comments from DEP have been received along with a file number. He asked Ms. Fisk if she had any response to their comments.
Ms. Fisk, New England Environmental said that she spoke with Mark Stinson from DEP and said basically most of his comments are just FYI’s for the Commission. She said that it’s not a 200 river front buffer that’s an error on the plans and also the comment of using the right DEP form, she said that they did use the right form Mr. Stinson just wanted
to make sure that everybody knew that there were changes as of February to both of those forms. Ms. Fisk said that he also addressed 10.58(a) which is basically whenever there is a project within a river front area even if it’s redevelopment for utilities it doesn’t matter they prefer to see some sort of improvement within the river front area. She said that it’s a residential neighborhood area that’s all lawn so she isn’t sure what sort of improvements they can make other than making sure the area is stabilized afterwards.
Mr. Tetrault, Bay State Gas said that they are going to be using the Filtrexx filter sock that will protect the whole area on both sides. He said that it’s all residential and doesn’t want to do anything that’s going to disturb the hand built culvert. Mr. Kingston said that DEP also had a comment on dewatering. Mr. Tetrault said that the trench will not get any water in it and they normally back fill once it’s dug so that nothing can get in there and then re-dig the next day an back fill again. He said that dewatering shall not be an issue.
Mr. Kingston addressed the Commission for any questions.
Ms. Foerster asked if there were any improvements proposed? Ms. Fisk said that everything is being done within the road bed itself and nothing is being done outside
of the road on the private property. Mr. Tetrault said that it’s individual residents properties that about the brook and they are going to contain all the swale from the trenches so there will be no contaminated soil around that area, so nothing should really impact or infiltrate that brook.
Ms. Williams asked if the gas line will cross the bridge? Mr. Tetrault said it’s going to
be right in roadway about a foot above the culvert. Ms. Williams said when she looked
at the culvert it looked like it was pretty unstable. Mr. Tetrault said that he walked it all
way and didn’t see anything that concerned him on a construction point of view but he
can go back out there and take a look.
Mr. Kingston asked Mr. Tetrault if he talked with DPW, he said yes that day and they
don’t have any concerns with the culvert. He said the only thing they requested from him is that he gets an engineered plan showing all existing utilities and once he gets that they will approve the permit. Mr. Kingston addressed the audience for any questions, there being none and upon motion duly made and seconded, the Commission voted unanimously (6-0) to close the hearing. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Commission voted unanimously (6-0) to issue an Order of Conditions with Special Conditions.
Public Meeting Request for Determination of Applicability - Baystate Gas, Shaker Rd & Maple Court
At 7:25 p.m. Chair, George Kingston opened the public meeting and Clerk, Jody O’Brien
read the legal notice into the record.
Present were Joe Petronino, Environmental Services and Ken Santucci, Bay State Gas.
Mr. Santucci presented a picture showing when the anode bed was installed in 1964 and said over the winter the line was broken and some of it is now in the water. He said that it broke in February and wasn’t able to fix it until March and the tops of the anodes that are in the ground were broken off and they can’t tell if they were hit by a plow or just general erosion. Mr. Santucci said they are proposing to put back an anode wire and let it sink into the water to try and compensate what’s broken up further on line.
Mr. Kingston asked if there was going to be any excavation? Mr. Santucci said no he is actually going to step on it and let it sink. Mr. Kingston said that there is a couple of issues, the first one being if it is even a resource area. He said originally it was a fire pond and now it’s sort of a retention pond that has no wetland vegetation at all, it’s man made and the questions is whether it’s even a resource area. Ms. Forester said maybe they considered it to be bank but it’s bank on something that was man made. Mr. Kingston said basically it’s a holding tank and would suggest that it be considered to be a negative determination because it is not an resource area and what they are proposing will not be invasive. He said but what he will do is write a letter to DPW advising them that the bank is eroding and it’s likely to cause problems for their parking lot and ball field and that they need to stabilize the bank. Mr. Kingston addressed the Commission for any further questions. Mr. Kingston addressed the audience for any questions, there being none and upon motion duly made and seconded, the Commission voted unanimously (6-0) to close the meeting. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Commission voted unanimously (6-0) to issue a Negative Determination of Applicability because the area is not area subject to protection.
Enforcement Order – 26 Orange Street & Cross Street
Mr. Kingston explained that Mr. Petronino submitted a report on the situation at Orange Street and asked him what he was proposing.
Mr. Petronino said that he flagged the area for wetlands and the riverfront area. Mitigation completed so far is as follows:
1. Hay bales and silt fence
now ring area.
2. Area of steep slopes are
hay mulched to prevent
erosion.
3. Area has been seeded to
lawn and the lawn has
established itself.
4. Stormwater outfall is
stabilized with silt
fence and mulch.
5. Area currently stabilized.
Items to be accomplished:
1. Any fill around trees to be
removed to save what trees
are left.
2.Slope at stormwater outfall
to be feathered back to a
grade that will prevent
further erosion.
3. Wildlife plantings ten feet
from the silt fence line (up
gradient) will be done,
shrubs could include:
vaccinium corybosum, viburnum
lentago, rhododendron
viscosum, lindera benzoin,
kamilia latifolia.
Trees could include: acer
rubrum, populus deltoids.
He said that ground cover in the area could be a New England Conservation/Wildlife Mix to enhance wildlife value and mitigate for lost resource area and buffer zone.
Ms. Foerster said that it might be helpful to have a time line outlining when everything will be done and maybe some quantities of plantings. Mr. Petronino said that he could do that.
Mr. Kingston feels that it should be done under a Notice of Intent in order to make sure that a Certificate of Compliance could be issued, especially because of the slopes that will be cut next to a wetland area/resource area. Mr. Kingston said that he would like to see the formal plan in a Notice of Intent. Mr. Petronino asked if it could be done under an Abbreviated Notice? Ms. Forester said that she didn’t think that it could because it’s riverfront and thinks it could only be buffer, but would have to double check. Mr. Kingston suggested that they check with DEP to see what they will accept. Mr. Petronino said that they will do that and thanked the Commission for their time.
Request for Extension of Order of Conditions, 45 Sturbridge Lane
Mr. Kingston said that a extension to the on Order of Conditions has been requested
for 45 Sturbridge Lane, DEP file #150-351. He said that it is under 3 years and sees
no reason why the Commission shouldn’t let them do it. Mr. Kingston addressed the Commission for any questions or comments, being none and upon motion duly made the Commission voted unanimously (6-0) to approve the extension for 3 years and expire on September 14, 2011.
There being no further business and upon motion duly made and seconded, the Commission voted to close the meeting at 8:00 p.m.
For the Commission,
George Kingston, Chair
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