MINUTES
Open Space Committee November 17, 2004 / 7:30 pm
Present: Judy Brainerd, Laura Freeman, Sue Haley, Sue Horton, Keith Johnson, Dave Read, Toni Stoker and Terry Whalen.
Approval of Meeting Minutes
MOTION: Dave moved and Sue Haley seconded to approve the October 27, 2004 meeting minutes.
APPROVED.
Community Preservation Act
There is no language available yet for the wording of the article on the warrant to adopt the Community Preservation Act. Judy stated the OS Committee’s desire to have an Open Space Committee representative on the Community Preservation Act Committee. Terry Whalen discussed doing so via a bylaw vs. town meeting. Terry took copies of several bylaws adopted by other towns and said he will pass them along to the BOS. Discussion ensued with respect to how the CPA funds can be used and how the Town should evaluate properties with an eye to combining the needs for open space, historic, recreation and affordable housing needs.
Land Acquisition
Hatch, White and Mumford Properties
Two out of the three required plans for recording have been signed by the Planning Board, we are a step closer to purchasing the properties.
New Properties
The following properties will be viewed at a site walk on December 18: the Harris property(a small piece of property on the Rock Harbor side of Dyer Prence Road), the Schneider property (an empty piece of land on the northeast side of Locust Road near the bike trail), the Saunders property (a small parcel on Herringbrook that would provide access to Herring Pond) and possibly the Daniels property.
1651 Forest
Toni Stoker gave us a presentation of the annual status report for 2004. In 2004, 72 trees were planted and 70 survived. This is an excellent survival rate. In the spring of 2005, 25-30 sassafras trees will be planted. In the Fall of 2005, specimen trees such as beech and mockernut hickory will be planted. There is an introduction section being incorporated into the Manual along with an organizational chart of the committees and groups involved with the forest as well as planting instructions.
The Arboretum is changing it’s name to the Forest Advisory Committee and because they have met their first charge, they have been restructured and have the new charge of 1) Maintaining and implementing the directives of the manual 2) Providing an annual inventory report and 3) Reporting to the supervisory committees.
Any future issues or concerns that the Open Space Committee has should be expressed in a letter to the Advisory Committee i.e. the formation of social trails within Wiley Park.
Old Business:
Town web site
The open space meeting minutes are posted on the town website. Discussion ensued with respect to getting our information on the website: the maps of our open space parcels should be available for downloading; possibly the Open Space Plan could be available; and providing information on the website with respect to the various options for donating land to the Town for Open Space.
Next Meeting: Our next open space meeting will be a site walk on December 18, 2004 to view various
sites including
MOTION: Dave made a motion to adjourn. Sue Haley seconded. APPROVED unanimously.
Adjourned at 9:06 pm
Respectfully submitted by Laura Freeman
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