MONSON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES OCTOBER 11, 2006
MEMBERS PRESENT: Glenn Colburn, Leslie Duthie, Davis Johnson and Donald Lambert
MEMBER ABSENT: Jim Zieger & Tom Faulkner
7:00 Signed Bill schedule
MAIL
1. Dan Cassidy Lakeshore Drive received his Order of Conditions.
2. Letter from JMP John Prenosil re: property owned by Mr. Cranstoun on Town Farm Road. JMP flagged the wetlands and the proposed residence is beyond the 100-foot buffer and the well is 80 feet from the wetlands. There is no disturbance greater than 5000 square feet.
The Commission will make a site visit.
3. Supplemental Information from Pioneer Environmental on behalf of Gary Scott Lot 3 Wales.
4. NOI for 96 Main Street reconstruction of failing retaining wall, Dan Levesque.
5. ANRAD Ayers Road Windmere LLC.
7:30 142 Stafford Road Diane Walsh. The Commission expressed its appreciation to Ms. Walsh for attending the meeting. Leslie Duthie stated she spoke with Bill Saloma earlier in the week and he told her the report would be sometime coming. The DCR has no concern with the dam because it is no longer there. Fuss & O’Neil calculated the carrying capacity of the culvert and Bill Saloma would go no further with respect to the culvert other than to say it was sufficient to carry a 50-year storm. That is the reason the Commission wanted to further discuss the removal of the temporary culvert.
Diane Walsh stated she knew that Bob McCollom at DEP had a copy. She questioned what the culvert had to do with construction of the house?
Leslie Duthie stated in light of information from Bill Saloma regarding the carrying capacity of the culvert the Commission wanted to reopen discussions. A big concern for the Commission is that Monson has experienced two 100-year storm events in the last five years. The Commission wants to be careful that it doesn’t approve anything that sets up circumstances similar to those when the house was destroyed by flood.
Diane Walsh stated the culvert was built to the engineer’s specifications that aside what has this to do with the house. The main concern was to move forward with construction of the house.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission wanted to be sure that the house was as far from the river as possible to protect against future storms. The Commission discussed removing the temporary culvert at the last meeting the additional information that it has a carrying capacity for a 50-year storm makes it even more important that it is removed and the banks stabilized.
Diane Walsh stated if the culvert were removed there would be erosion because it is all sand.
Leslie Duthie stated exactly and the composition of the soil is one of the reasons the culvert should be removed. The Commission wants to be sure that it has taken every step possible to protect the present owners and possible future owners of the property.
Glenn Colburn stated the Commission sympathizes with the position Mr. & Mrs. Walsh find themselves in but at the same time it must be sure it has done everything it can to make this a safer situation. Mr. Colburn stated he spoke with a secretary at Civil Engineering who said the plan was for a temporary culvert to remove the damaged house. DEP issued emergency certification for a temporary culvert to allow removal of the house. The culvert was not intended to be permanent. The Commission noticed at its site visit that the blocks are shifting and it has been less than a year.
Diane Walsh questioned why the two issues could not be separated.
Glenn Colburn stated restoration of the riverfront and the removal of the temporary culvert is a big part of the project. When the foundation is excavated for the house there will be big equipment on the site it is the ideal time to remove the culvert that was installed on a temporary basis to aid in the removal of the damaged home.
Diane Walsh stated she did not want this to delay the house project.
Glenn Colburn stated it would not delay the project for the house because the equipment would already be on site. When the foundation is dug for the house the same equipment would be used to remove the culvert.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission wanted to discuss the Order of Conditions and the addition of a condition that the temporary culvert must be removed. That will be a condition in order to build the home.
Diane Walsh stated the culvert cost $18,000 to put in and now the Commission wants that money thrown away.
Davis Johnson stated the structure was a temporary one to remove the home.
Diane Walsh questioned the difference between a temporary and permanent culvert.
Leslie Duthie stated she pressed Bill Saloma when she was speaking with him about the carrying capacity of the culvert and he was adamant that the culvert had a capacity for the 50-year storm. It was a 100-year storm that took out the house. The engineer who designed the culvert has told one of the Commissioners that he was asked to design a temporary culvert to remove a flood damaged home. There would be differences in the design between a temporary or permanent structure and with compaction. If during another storm event like the one that took out the house the culvert fails and material falls into the stream the water will look for another route to travel. That could mean the same thing happening to the proposed new home. So yes the Commission feels strongly that the removal of the
culvert and stabilization of the riverfront on either side would better protect the applicant’s investment.
Diane Walsh stated none of mortar has cracked and the cement blocks are not slipping. If the culvert is removed it will erode because it is all sand and the only thing holding is the steel pipe.
Leslie Duthie stated all the more reason to remove the pipe and reinforce with stone and vegetation. If the Commission allowed the culvert to stay and erosion occurred on the house side of the culvert the applicant could come back to the Commission and ask how it allowed this to happen again. The Commission believes the removal of the temporary culvert and stabilization with stone and vegetation is a safer long-term solution.
Diane Walsh stated she would not lay any blame on the Commission if the culvert were allowed to stay.
Glenn Colburn stated the understanding of the Commission was always that the culvert was a temporary aid for the removal of a flood damaged home. The equipment will be on site for the excavation of the cellar hole it is a perfect opportunity to take care of things all at one time. The Commission would rather issue an Order of Conditions that includes the removal of the culvert and stabilization of the banks with stone and vegetation than deny the project.
Diane Walsh stated they would have used the culvert for a driveway if they had built on the other side of the stream.
Glenn Colburn stated if the culvert had been used for access to a home it would have required a more detailed stamped and signed plan that clearly indicated it was designed as a permanent culvert.
Diane Walsh stated her concern that the removal of the culvert would cause more erosion.
Glenn Colburn stated when the culvert and cement blocks are removed and the banks stabilized with rock and vegetation there is less risk for the new home that is going to be constructed close to the stream.
Diane Walsh stated removing the culvert is not a minor thing and she felt she understood this property better than anyone did because she is there on a daily basis. She stated her concern was more with the back of the property where the well is.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission is convinced the best way to proceed is to write the Order of Conditions that includes the removal of the temporary culvert and restoration of the riverfront area.
Diane Walsh questioned if she could proceed with the placement of the silt fence?
The Commission stated that would be fine.
9:30 The Commission set site visits for Thursday October 19, 2006 starting at 5:00 P.M. at Lot 1 Town Farm Road, Mr. Cranstoun, 96 Main Street D. Levesque and G. Scott Lot 3 Wales Road. The Commission will make a site visit on Sunday October 22, 2006 at 5:00 P.M for the resource delineation on Ayers Road.
10:00 Leslie Duthie moved to adjourn.
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
It was so vote unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda A. Hull
Clerk
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