FINAL
Present for the Conservation Commission and attending the meeting were: Sandy Broyard, Chairman, Candy Shweder, Vice Chairman, Pam Goff, Bob Hungerford, Chris Murphy, Wesley Cottle, Joan Malkin and Chuck Hodgkinson. Marc Villa also attended.
The meeting came to order at 12:30 PM.
RFD JOAN MALKIN; 10 Tilton Cove Way; AP 25-124, 125: Ms. Malkin recused herself and presented her plan to construct a screened porch on top of an existing deck. The work will be in the 100-foot buffer zone of a Bordering Vegetated Wetland draining into a coastal pond – Chilmark Pond. The closest corner of the deck is 70 feet from the wetland edge. After brief discussion a motion was made for a negative determination with the following special conditions: 1. The screened porch and its footprint shall never be winterized or used as year-round living space. 2. All construction debris shall be removed from the site daily or contained in a covered storage area to keep it from getting blown into the wetland. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously with
six in favor.
RFD MARC VILLA; 20 Howell Lane; AP 27-4.1: This is a response to an Enforcement Letter. Mr. Villa reviewed his plans to remove 2 dead trees within a 40-ft. ROW in a wetland buffer zone and 25 feet from the wetland; remove a fallen tree in a wetland; remove several dead beech trees in the southwest section of the property and within a wetland buffer zone and maintain an existing walking path from the outdoor shower to the roadway that is in a wetland buffer zone. The Commission noted the most important wetland is the one bordering the stream and there is minimal activity proposed in this buffer zone. The dead trees that are removed will be used as firewood. With no further discussion a motion was made for a negative determination. The motion was seconded and
passed unanimously with seven in favor.
ADMINISTRATION:
The Commission discussed how it should handle seemingly simple tree pruning or removal proposals that are in resource area buffer zones. Chuck H. mentioned the fact that most residents are now asking whether or not permits are needed before the work is performed – which is a significant improvement over the past few years. After much discussion the following policy guidelines were agreed for consideration at the Commission’s next meeting:
- Chuck H. will draft criteria for activities within resource buffer zones that would be used to decide whether or not a Request for Determination of Applicability must be filed.
- When a circumstance arises that meets the final agreed criteria or is questionable, Chuck H. will review the proposal(s) with the Commission Chair before making a final decision on whether or not a filing must be made.
The November 20, 2013 meeting minutes were reviewed and approved as presented by consensus.
The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 15, 2014 @ 12:30 PM – if any applications are submitted.
With no further business to conduct the meeting adjourned at 1:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Chuck Hodgkinson, C.A.S.
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