Town of Monson
Conservation Commission
110 Main Street
Monson, MA 01057
413-267-4111
Fax 267-4108
MONSON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES MAY 4, 2011
MEMBERS PRESENT: Leslie Duthie, Glenn Colburn, Davis Johnson, Audra Staples and Dana Staples.
MEMBERS ABSENT:
7:00 The Commission met informally with members of the Monson Environmental Action Team Ashley Novak, Stephanie Morin and Monica Morin.
The team made a presentation to the Commission explaining its project to monitor vernal pools to assess the affect of acid rain. The team spoke of the limited to no protection that the Wetland Protection Act provides for vernal pools and the need for a Town bylaw to protect this very important resource area. One particular vernal pool proved to be hazardous for three yellow spotted salamanders’ two small painted turtles and wood frogs that were killed attempting to cross the road.
Leslie Duthie questioned if there was anything the Team could suggest to alert motorists?
The team suggested a sign or preferably close one small section of the road for the one night the big migration happens. There are potentially 143 vernal pools in Monson of which only 27 have been certified and the team hopes to certify four of the six pools it found.
Davis Johnson stated certifying vernal pools can be difficult if they are on private property.
Leslie Duthie stated the difficulty in passing a bylaw is that people immediately jump to the conclusion that the Commission is putting a restriction on development.
7:15 Norman & Sandra DeGrey met informally with the Commission seeking advise on what type of filing would be required to reconstruct a retaining wall on their property. Mr. DeGrey stated the retaining wall is right on the water.
Davis Johnson stated the wall keeps soil from going into water.
Leslie Duthie stated it would probably be a good idea to make a site visit.
Glenn Colburn stated because the work was so close to the water he believed a Notice of Intent would be required.
Norman DeGrey stated the existing retaining wall is constructed of wood but it has failed and must be completely replaced. The plan is to replace it with interlocking blocks and backfill with ¾ inch stone.
Leslie Duthie questioned if heavy equipment would be used?
Mr. DeGrey stated a loader would be needed to dig the footing.
Leslie Duthie questioned the length?
Mr. DeGrey stated 110 feet.
Leslie Duthie stated she agreed with Mr. Colburn that a NOI would be required.
Mr. DeGrey stated he would complete the paperwork and get back to the Commission.
7:25 NOI Bumstead Road. John Prenosil, JMP Consulting stated he was present representing the property owner Raymond Wallach. The property owner would like to construct a driveway, single family home and install a septic system on the property. The Commission made a site visit and saw there are challenges with the grades. The driveway will have to meet the 12% grade required in the bylaw. An open bottom culvert will be installed and the driveway graded to take the run off into a vegetated swale. DEP has issued a file number 228-0333.
Leslie Duthie stated her concern with the driveway grades. To protect the intermittent stream once construction starts on the driveway it must be completed in a timely fashion so that it is not left open too long.
Mr. Prenosil stated he thought it would be completed in phases, first remove the trees, second cut the driveway in and stabilize as they go.
Leslie Duthie questioned if that was described in the narrative.
Mr. Prenosil stated he did not think it was contained in the narrative but the Commission could include it in the Order of Conditions.
Audra Staples stated she observed a particularly large tree in the area of the proposed driveway at the site visit and understood Mr. Prenosil to say that the tree was to be removed but not the stump.
Mr. Prenosil stated that was correct based on the amount of fill it will probably just be buried. The soils are very sandy and the phased construction would protect the run off. He stated he wanted to make it clear that JMP Consulting has only been retained to prepare the Notice of Intent and due to monetary issues has not been retained to oversee the construction of the driveway. JMP will stake out the center line but the property owner is going to do the work himself.
Glenn Colburn stated he was concerned with the construction of the swales. The sandy loamy types of soils are a concern will they hold the run off from the driveway and slope.
Mr. Prenosil stated a geo-textile material could be used and check dams installed along the driveway to slow the water as it comes down.
Glenn Colburn stated given that the property owner is going to do the work without oversight from the engineer he would prefer all of this to be on plan so there is no question of what is needed.
Mr. Prenosil stated he would prefer to be on site to give guidance but the client has chosen otherwise.
Wayne & Desiree Dewey 12 Bumstead Road questioned if the amount of digging and change in the grade of the land would adversely affect their property?
Mr. Prenosil stated it should not. The driveway has been designed so that the run off coming from the property is not increased.
Leslie Duthie stated when the Commission puts together an Order of Conditions it will include a reminder to the applicant to keep extra erosion control on the site and to close the site at the end of each days work. She asked Mr. Prenosil to provide additional information on the swale construction, geo-textiles and check dams.
Glenn Colburn stated he would like to see the type of finish on the driveway spelt out, is it to be totally paved or partly paved? The applicant must be aware that once construction starts on the driveway it must continue until it is completed, preferably within a 30 day period.
Leslie Duthie stated she agreed with Mr. Colburn and if the construction of the driveway takes longer than 30 days the Commission must be notified and it will make a site visit. This is not a project that can be dragged out because of the potential for erosion.
Glenn Colburn stated he thought the stream crossing should be done first and then the driveway.
Leslie Duthie questioned if JMP Consulting was recommending fabric for the swale and side slopes?
Mr. Prenosil stated yes and ideally phase one would be the crossing, phase two the really steep part of the driveway and the top the last stage.
Glenn Colburn moved to continue the hearing to May 25, 2011 to
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
John Prenosil questioned if the Commission would require him to attend the next meeting.
Leslie Duthie stated not if the Commission receives all of the information discussed at this meeting.
8:00 NOI T. Peck Road Town of Monson, Highway Department. Donald Frydryk, Sherman & Frydryk was present representing the Monson Highway Department. Mr. Frydryk stated the DEP has issued a file number 228 0335 and Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program has responded that the project does not require review by them because it is not within estimated habitat.
Donald Frydryk stated the work involves the replacement of a culvert on T. Peck Road approximately 400 feet westerly of Cote Road. The existing 18” culvert will be replaced with a corrugated metal culvert the same size to maintain the same flow downstream. The work will be performed when there is no/low flow. The stream flows through the culvert and connects to a pond. Mr. Frydryk stated he has run the storm water calculations to demonstrate the flow downstream is the same. A bottomless culvert has not been proposed because of the profile of the road, but this does meet the stream crossing standards. A sequence of work and narrative has been included in the NOI. This type of replacement typically takes one or two days.
Leslie Duthie questioned if there was anything Mr. Frydryk could suggest that would improve the stream continuity a little.
Davis Johnson stated there is an area just up the road where it would be possible to take some of the stormwater off and put it into the wetlands rather than directly into the stream.
Donald Frydryk stated it would not be an issue to lower the invert to increase the continuity of stream.
Glenn Colburn stated there is an area that has a temporary patch funneling the road run off directly into the stream and a property owner with a pond is complaining that her pond is filling with silt. He questioned if it would be possible to make a berm so the run off is not going directly into the stream?
Leslie Duthie suggested something similar to what was done on Reimers Road.
Davis Johnson acknowledged that it would not be possible to get all of the water off but the amount of run off going directly into the stream could be reduced and it would help the water quality.
Donald Frydryk stated he was not sure how much room there was between the BVW and the edge of the road.
Leslie Duthie stated considering the amount of sand there now anything that can be put in will help. She stated before issuing an Order of Conditions she would like to see a new plan that addresses this issue in some measure.
Leslie Duthie moved to continue the hearing to May 25, 2011 to receive a new plan.
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
8:20 NOI Brimfield Road Town of Monson Highway. Donald Frydryk, Sherman & Frydryk was present representing Monson Highway Dept. Mr. Frydryk stated DEP has issued a file number 228-0334 for the replacement of a culvert on Brimfield Road. The Commission has looked at this before because the Highway Department had to fix the road during the winter when the culvert failed. At that time Mr. Morrell said that he would file for the replacement of the culvert when the weather was better. The headwalls and culvert are to be replaced with the same size to keep the flow the same downstream.
Glenn Colburn stated there are flooding problems with small culverts.
Leslie Duthie stated she saw the problems in the winter the water backs up and spreads out but there is a fairly steep bank on both sides. This is a straight forward project and with no further questions would make a motion to close the hearing and issue an Order of Conditions.
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
8:25 RFD New England Central Railroad, Keith Morris. The Commission continued the meeting because it was waiting for a check for the legal notice. Mr. Morris has since submitted the check for the legal notice.
Leslie Duthie moved to close the meeting and issue a determination.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
NOI Fenton Road, Exxonmobile was continued to May 25, 2011.
8:30 The Commission discussed marking the boundaries of some of the Conservation land. The boundaries of the Fern Hill Road property and the Gerrish property should be identified and the Commission should probably hire Sherman & Frydryk to mark the boundaries of Jean Porwolls’ land on Reimers Road.
Glenn Colburn stated with regard to the Porwoll property it is evident that people are using the land to ride ATV’s and such and the Commission should post notices that the use of motorized vehicles is not allowed. The power lines are gated off but someone has cut down a couple of trees, taken down the sign and gone around the gate with a quad.
Leslie Duthie stated Norcross actually installs gates at the entrances to its property two big posts and a metal gate and then runs a fence for a certain distance on both sides of the gate to stop people going around.
Audra Staples she believed it would be worthwhile to make a site visit to the property on Reimers Road.
Leslie Duthie agreed and stated the bridge on Nieske Road would be a good place to meet.
Leslie Duthie stated she revised the lease agreement and thought a one year lease was sufficient this would give both parties an opportunity to see how it works. It would probably be a good idea to have Town Counsel review the lease.
Leslie Duthie informed the Commissioners of a workshop that Weston & Sampson is conducting in Holland May 13, 2011 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. relating to wetland regulations and road improvements.
Audra and Dana Staples stated if possible one of them would attend the workshop.
9:15 Davis Johnson moved to accept the minutes of April 13, 2011.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
MAIL
- Wilbraham Road Stephen Phillips recorded the extension for his Order of Conditions.
- Copy of Northern Woodlands.
- Vegetation management plan for New England Central Railroad.
Leslie Duthie stated she is still working on the forest legacy program and has sent out letters to various property owners who own substantial acreage. At this point in time only Annette Berube Butler Road and Seth Wesson on behalf of Penelope Quinlan Reimers Road have responded. Ms. Duthie stated Mr. Wesson told her they are still in the process of surveying the Quinlan property.
9:40 Audra Staples moved to adjourn.
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda A. Hull
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