|
Becket Conservation Commission
Minutes Becket Town Hall June 17, 2010 ~ The Meeting is called to order at 6:30 PM. ~ Commissioners Present: Purr McEwen, Chair; Scott Morley, Vice Chair; Kathy Vsetecka, Commissioner and Agent; Bud Moylan; Marty Winters. ~ Members absent: Nina Weiler; Richard Pryor |
Meeting called to order at 6:33
- Approval of minutes of the May 20, 2010 meeting.
Purr motioned to accept, Scott seconded, all in favor.
2.~~~~~Enforcement Order Restoration Plan ~Eleanor Thomas 301 Beech Tree Lane
~~~~~~~~Map 407 lot 72 Enforcement Order Resource Restoration Plan, 6/7/10 310 CMR
10.58(2)(a) 1
Emily Stockman, Stockman Associates representing. The violation involved a pond on the property and dredging. An initial assessment and draft restoration plan was submitted. Because of the extent of the impact, different data sources needed to be utilized in order to assess what occured. Aerial photos were taken over the years both old and new to also assess the impact. The most recent aerial photographs were taken 2009 prior to the violation. There was an emergent marsh in the northern portion of the pond and the westerly edge as well. The current impact is that the Cat got in there and dredged the materials and the inlet stream was shifted to the west. The dredged materials remain on site and will be removed from the wetland and put back into the pond.
First in the sequence of work will be to clearly define the limit of work and access to the area. The goal is to reestablish the emergent marsh. A Cat needs to be used but first the limit of work needs to be defined and then either a silt barrier or turbidity curtain installed to contain the work area. The operator will need to reference swamp maps to get into the saturated areas. The last thing will address alterations to the stream and they may need to bypass flow for a short time and then return the grades to mimic the up-portion of the stream. The pond is currently drawn down and will be kept that way. A Notice of Intent will need to be submitted after the violation has been addressed for any additional work. Commission members will be invited to a pre-construction meeting. There is BVW adjacent to the upper limit of the bank and the intermittent stream. The riverfront area is based on the assessment of the latest US
Topography map and the stream that enters the pond is not designated as a perennial stream. There will be two years of monitoring. Emily Stockman will be on site the entire time. Plantings will be born from the dredged materials including phragmites. In the future, there will be a request to dredge the pond.
Motion to approve the restoration plan as presented made by Scott, seconded by Marty, all in favor.
- Enforcement Order Restoration Plan ~Alan Wallach ~Becket Highlands ~263 ~ Tyringham Road ~Map 404 lot 49 Plant list and photos.
The only thing left on the Enforcement order is the plantings. Allan Wallach hired a landscape designer who designed the plan and will oversee it. He presented the plan along with photos. The work will be done with shovels, no machinery. Erosion controls were discussed as presented in the plan. Selina Lamb is the landscaper who will oversee the project. Two reports are to be issued as a follow-up to the work.
Scott motioned to accept the restoration plan as presented with the following modifications: all work is to be hand done and the oversight will be done by Selina Lamb, seconded by Purr, all in favor.
- Notice of Intent ~Michael and Christine Shannon ~132 Nottingham Court ~Map 216 lot 750 DEP #102-363 ~~
Site Plan~ for Michael G. and Christine M. Shannon~ May 29, 2010 Boardwalk to Dock 6/15/10 Construction of a deck, sun porch, boardwalk and dock
Gail Ceresia, Berkshire Wetland Services representing; Mike and Kristine Shannon, Marcel Breton also present and speaking. Gail submitted new plans (Boardwalk to Dock Detail, May 29, 2010) showing the property lines. There is an existing foundation with a septic system installed. The Shannons would like to add a proposed 12 X 16 sunroom on a foundation and a deck 12 X 28 on piers. The other work will bridge the wetland with a dock out into the pond. Erosion control barriers will be up. Roughly 20 cubic yards of soil is to be excavated as the foundation for the sunroom. Spacing of the boardwalk will be ¾ inch allowing the light to penetrate through. There is a building requirement that there be a 2-3 feet height above grade. Twelve inch piers are to be used with
several piers in the actual BVW. In the lake for dock support they will augur the pipe into the soil. Erosion control measures were addressed.
The Shannons also want to take down four trees instead of two which will need to be marked on the plan as well as on the site. No construction sequence was provided. The four inch pipe is a foundation drain. Conservation would like a 3 foot diameter dry well approximately 5 feet back from the wetland. A mid-size excavator will be used in the already disturbed area. The Commission is also asking that the felled trees are kept in the limit of work area.
Open to the public: Bob Ronzio, an abutter wants to be sure the felled trees do not fall on his property. Mark Stinson questioned whether there was going to be any replication of the BVW area that was going to be altered by the placement of the boardwalk. Gail said there was none proposed. The Commission outlined where rip rap stone is to be placed to slow down the sediment. Also suggested were native plantings. Public comment closed.
Motion made by Scott to approve the plans as presented with Becket Standard Conditions, and the four trees to be removed be marked in the field and inspected by the Commission before being cut, piers will be hand dug and the excavated material to be immediately moved out of the wetland area. Existing foundation drain will be cut back so it terminates approximately five feet before the BVW and a three foot in diameter dry well be installed at the outlet of the drain. Machinery is limited to the disturbed area only as shown by the limit of work area. The trees to be cut are to removed in a way as to not damage wetland and the adjacent property. Seconded by Purr, all in favor.
5.~~~~~~Certificate of Compliance ~Mark and Mary Thomas ~8 Cherokee Drive ~Map 218
~~~~~~~~ lot 150 ~DEP #102-306
A site inspection was done on June 10. The area looks well stabilized.
Motion made by Purr to issue COC, seconded by Scott. All in favor.
6.~~~~~~Continuance of Notice of Intent ~John Amato ~Becket Woods Road and Mainten-
~~~~~~~~ ance District ~Beech Tree Lane ~Map 407 ~DEP #102- ~~~~~Installation of a culvert
Motion made Purr to continue to July 15 meeting, seconded by Bud all in favor.
7.~~~~~~Update on Enforcement Work at Beech Tree Lane
In violation of enforcement. Mike Kulig to be contacted.
8.~~~~~~Greenwater Pond Drawdown Report
A report was submitted by Dave MacWilliams The pond had been drawn down for six years causing considerable effect on the native habitat. This is the first year that they did a drawdown and filled it back up. The species seems to be coming back strong. There were hardly any perch or bullhead being caught for the last six years. This year the freshwater Mussels and snails are back as well as bullfrogs and crayfish. Lake visibility is good with 22 feet of visibility. Zebra mussels monitors are out with no zebra mussels being spotted. The pond lacks the calcium and ph that is conducive to the zebra mussels. They are into the 5th season of hand pulling targeting phragmities, purple loosestrife and milfoil. The purple loosestrife are almost eliminated with
phragmities largely gone and under control. The gold fish were wiped out when the pond was let down for six years having destroyed the spawn beds. There are two families of wood ducks and geese now. Three swans were there for a day. There are healthy cattail stands. The robinson pond weed seems to be replacing the milfoil. The drawdown and fill-ups are going well and are being closely monitored. The work is being documented with photographs; water temperatures are taken and recorded, etc. It was established that DCR owns the dam. Mark Stinson questioned whether DCR was part of the OOC for maintenance of the valve which Kathy needs to check.
9.~~~~~~Administrative business
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a. Election of officers
Purr motioned to nominate Scott for Chair, Rich for Vice Chair, seconded
by Marty, all in favor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b. Other
- A new site visit day will need to be established.
- Kathy has been doing site visits
- There has been violations with Kirschner, Engel and Russell
Motion to adjourn made by Purr, seconded by Budd. All in favor. Meeting closed 8:17.
Respectfully submitted,
Martie Martin
Purr McEwen, Chair Date
__________________________________________
Scott Morley, Vice Chair Date
__________________________________________
Kathy Vsetecka, Commissioner/Agent Date
_________________________________________
Bud Moylan, Commissioner Date
___________________________________________
Richard Pryor, Commissioner Date
____________________________________________
Marty Winters, Commissioner Date
___________________________________________
Nina Weiler, Commissioner Date
___________________________________________
| 