GCC MEETING MINUTES
June 15, 2006
Attending: Carl Shreder, Paul Nelson, Mike Birmingham, Mark Gauthier, Charles Waters,
Steve Przyjemski, Laura Repplier
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Meeting with town counsel regarding pending litigation.
Roll Call Vote:
Paul Nelson - Aye
Mark Gauthier - Aye
Charles Waters - Aye
Tom Howland - Aye
Mike Birmingham - Aye
Carl Shreder - Aye
GENERAL BUSINESS
MINUTES
MOTION to accept minutes of April 20, May 4, May 18 – Paul / Mike / Unam
APPOINTEES
MOTION to appoint Mark Gauthier to the Community Preservation Committee for 1 year – Charles / Tom / Unam
MOTION to appoint Bob Morehouse and Keith Reardon to the Camp Denison Committee for 2 years – Paul / Tom / Unam
HUNTING
Bruce Holt, Resident – I have a National Park Service list of 10 towns that allowing hunting in MA. Did we receive grant money from something that is now in the NPS?
Carl S, GCC – The National Park Service doesn’t govern our conservation areas. We will look into the matter. GCC looked into hunting on GCC lands some time ago and chose not to allow hunting at the time because there were a number of local State properties that allowed hunting.
Action – Steve & Carl update with information.
Action – Bruce Holt contact other towns re. how they control hunting, who can do it, etc in existing conservation land.
11 MARTEL WAY
Paul N, GCC – The applicants from 11 Martel Way submitted new plans and asked that we look at them to discuss whether the proposal is significantly different to their original application. What would our reply be to their new submission?
Carl S, GCC – This is not an open hearing or an active case.
Paul N, GCC – In the MACC manual it says all they have to do is come back with a revised plan.
Carl S, GCC – The GCC needs to determine whether this new plan is significantly different or not. At that point we could open a new hearing. The denial we made is good for 3 years.
Steve P, GCC Agent – I didn’t think it was a significant change.
Charles W, GCC – It is the GCC’s role to say if it is a significant change or not. It shouldn’t be up to Steve to answer that.
GCC - Agreed that the applicants must file a new NOI.
TIDDS JUNK YARD
Steve P, GCC Agent – We need them to re-file as their original OoC has expired. They are coming in for the meeting on June 29th to tell us the current state of the project. Our representative & the DEP want more sampling. They don’t want to do it. We need to sit down & discuss that with them. The owner came in recently for a demolition permit. The DEP wants them to do borings to see what is in the foundation before they demolish the house. Once it is judged to be clean they can take it down.
Carl S, GCC – The site needs to be secured so kids can’t be getting in there.
Steve P, GCC Agent – I called the owner to ask them to secure the fence and deal with the graffiti the kids have put on the house.
Bottom line on this one is that at the 6/29 meeting, all of the parties are scheduled to attend – including James Luker
LULL STREET EO
GCC - The simplified drawing provided by the applicant was deemed to be not adequate. We want to see a NOI from this applicant.
HEARINGS
541 NORTH STREET (GCC-2004-049; DEP 161-0612) NOI (Cont)
MOTION to continue to 7:30, July 13 – Tom / Mike / Unam
STONE ROW (GCC-2005-031; DEP 161-0635) ANRAD (Cont)
Reps: George Agganis, TJ Conti – Owners
George Agganis, Owner – We request a continuance to August. Our attorney has submitted a letter stating some issues re. meeting with the independent reviewer.
MOTION to continue to 7:30 on Aug 10 – Tom / Mike / Unam
65R THURLOW STREET
Reps: Jamie Dolansky, Seekamp Environmental; Gary Evans, Attorney
Jami Dolansky, Seekamp – GCC requested us to provide delineation of the wetlands 200’ beyond the property & show the boundaries of vernal pool habitat on the property and 200’ off property. We are requesting you to issue an ORAD to confirm the delineation. On May 24, 2006 Patrick Seekamp & Steve Przyjemski went on a site visit regarding the vernal pools & delineation. That information is shown on this new plan. The vernal pools are on the plan at wetland flag B26-32; also A22 – 16.
Steve P, GCC Agent – The applicants didn’t have permission to go off property so we did it by eye from the property boundary. Essentially the wetland follows the contours of the land.
Jami Dolansky, Seekamp – We say the vernal pool at B57-53 didn’t have biological evidence of being a vernal pool.
Steve P, GCC Agent – It was raining heavily & cold that day so there was nothing out.
Jami Dolansky, Seekamp – The shrubs didn’t lend breeding ground for amphibians.
Carl S, GCC – How long did you observe the area to determine that?
Jami Dolansky, Seekamp – It was noted as a depression but during several site visits in May we never observed biological evidence that would say it was a vernal pool.
Charles W, GCC – How many characteristics do we need to accept it as a vernal pool?
Gary Evans, Attorney – The 3rd party reviewer said he didn’t find evidence of vernal pool habitat either – that was on May 2nd.
Steve P, GCC Agent – You can’t assess a vernal pool in one day – it’s a 3 year determination.
Mike B – It was early May as well. That’s too early to make concrete determinations for a vernal pool.
Tom H – And was a very dry March.
Carl S, GCC – Our regulations assume it is a vernal pool until proven otherwise.
Steve P, GCC Agent – This entire property is in the Zone II Wellhead Protection Zone for Byfield as well. It doesn’t matter whether this is absolutely defined as a vernal pool as there is a 100’ no-cut zone from the wetland anyway. We can’t get around the Zone II setbacks anyway.
Gary Evans, Attorney – The Byfield well is 1.75 mi from this site. We would like to review how Zone II is assessed by Byfield.
Carl S, GCC – We need to get everything on the plan that should be on there.
Steve P, GCC Agent – The floodplain needs to be shown on the plan too.
Gary Evans, Attorney – Isn’t the floodplain at 70’?
Steve P, GCC Agent – Whatever it is, it needs to be on this plan. We need the Zone II Wellhead Protection Zone & the floodplain on this plan.
Carl S, GCC – Whatever is going in the ORAD has to go on the plan so we can issue it.
Mike B – Wetland lines are wetland lines but special setbacks will apply for Zone II and vernal pools.
Gary Evans, Attorney – We want to reserve the right to question this Zone II validity.
Carl S, GCC – If there’s that sort of error we can re-visit that at that time.
Mike B, GCC – None of that changes the delineation. We just want all the information we can have on the plan.
GCC – The new plan should show where flood plain lines are; where the FEMA flood zone lines are; where the Zone II Wellhead Protection Zone is. Also, show the cul-de-sac as a dotted line; and list the depression at flag B57 as a vernal pool.
MOTION to continue the hearing to 8:15 on July 13 – Tom / Mike / Unam
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Discussion of applicants for the Camp Denison Manager position.
Roll Call Vote:
Paul Nelson - Aye
Mark Gauthier - Aye
Charles Waters - Aye
Tom Howland - Aye
Mike Birmingham - Aye
Carl Shreder - Aye
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