MONSON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES JANUARY 20, 2016
MEMBERS PRESENT: Glenn Colburn, Leslie Duthie and Davis Johnson.
7:00 Glenn Colburn stated he contacted the property owner of 75 Thayer Road to respond to her questions regarding a pool. Although it is a two plus acre lot there is a large wetland area that does not leave a lot of room for a pool. The location of the proposed pool was staked out and it appears to encroach on the side setback. Glenn Colburn stated he advised her to speak to the Building Department about a variance.
Leslie Duthie moved to approve the minutes of November 18, 2015 as presented.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
It was so voted, unanimous.
The Commission signed the final copy of the Conservation Restriction to be held by the Opacum Land Trust on the Stephen & June Skorupski Woodland property on Silver Street.
Leslie Duthie stated the restriction reserves the right to cut wood and hold certain events with permission.
Davis Johnson moved to approve the Conservation Restriction.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
Voting aye: Davis Johnson and Glenn Colburn.
Leslie Duthie abstained.
7:15 The Commission received notice from Westview Farms, Inc. that 15+ acres located on East Hill Road is to be removed from Chapter 61A to be used for commercial purposes.
Glenn Colburn stated the land in question has no conservation value and would move to make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen not to exercise the right of first refusal.
Leslie Duthie seconded the motion.
It was so voted, unanimous.
MAIL
- Craig Levesque recorded the Order of Conditions for 354 Main Street.
- Notice from the office of the Governor of Massachusetts that Monson was awarded a grant of up to $27,300.00 to implement the Carpenter Road Mass Wildlife Habitat Management project.
- Glenn Colburn signed a New Construction Cover Sheet for Bedrock Financial, LLC for Lot #2 Beebe Road.
- Preliminary Cutting Plan 40+ acres Hovey Road Gary Villimano.
- Cutting Plan 75 Bradway Road 64 acres Boulder Hill Development.
- Cutting Plan 113 Fenton Road 92 acres Scott Teatreault.
- Opacum newsletter.
- Yearly operational vegetation plan with map, Fenton Road, National Grid.
7:30 RFD Carpenter Road Assessors Map 115, Parcel 104D, Town of Monson.
Leslie Duthie stated the Request for Determination is for work proposed for a MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant. The project requires a one-time crossing over an intermittent stream located on the lower part of the lot. Six acres will be clear cut to allow for early successional habitat restoration. No excavation or soil disturbance is proposed for the restoration. Limited cutting will take place in the nesting habitat and the cut trees in that area will be put into brush piles for habitat. The total area of the property is seventeen (17) plus acres. In 2007 a male Eastern Box Turtle was identified on the property and the property was subsequently assessed by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. The McCray family owned the property in addition to a larger parcel of land across the street. The family sold off the majority of its property for single family homes and deeded the remaining seventeen acres to the Town, in addition to setting up an
endowment for maintenance of the Eastern Box Turtle nest site. The project is designed to restore six (6) acres of young forest to early successional habitat for the benefit of the Eastern Box turtle, and bird species such as Woodcock, Screech Owl, Ruffled Grouse, White Throated Sparrow and other song birds. Leslie Duthie stated Scott Gerrish prepared a forest management plan for the Town. The cutting and chipping of the trees on the six acres in the western most portion of the property must be completed before March 30, 2016. The trees will be ground in place. In the spring time when vegetation begins the work will start again to treat the invasive species with herbicide.
Glenn Colburn questioned the method of treatment for the invasive species?
Leslie Duthie stated they would spray the areas that are away from the wetlands, and cut and treat the other areas. Scott Gerrish will oversee the project and is responsible for making sure the work conforms to the plan.
Robert Richardson 89 Carpenter Road questioned the difference between the activity the Commission proposes and what he did on his property and was told to stop?
Leslie Duthie stated the Town has filed for the work with the Monson Conservation Commission and Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. The narrative describing the work is specific and details when and how the work is to be done.
Robert Richardson stated that the work involves cutting around the pond on the property and the Commission did not allow him to do that on his property.
Leslie Duthie stated the work does not involve removing the vegetation the trees are to be cut and ground in place, no seeding is proposed and no disturbance of the soil is proposed. Additionally the Town is filing for permission to do the work.
Davis Johnson stated habitat is becoming rare in Massachusetts and this is a good project that protects endangered species habitat.
Robert Richardson questioned what gave the Commission the right to do it?
Leslie Duthie stated it is the Town doing the work not the Commission. The Town has filed with the Commission for permission to do the work. The trees are to be cut but the under vegetation will be left, in the spring the invasive species will be treated.
Robert Richardson stated he was not against having the birds and creatures back on the property that used to be there but he felt the Commission was sending a bad message because they are doing something they are not allowing him to do. He stated he should be able to put the ponds on his property back to what they were.
Leslie Duthie questioned if he meant putting the ponds back to rare species habitat?
Davis Johnson stated Mr. Richardson should file with the Commission if he wanted to cut, alter or reseed the ponds or wetland areas on his property. The Town has filed with all of the appropriate agencies in order to get permission to do the work to restore rare species habitat.
Leslie Duthie stated the Town came to the Conservation Commission and said that it wants to improve habitat for rare species and has put it in writing how the work is to be done and when, that is very different from taking a rototiller to wetlands and not filing with the Commission.
Robert Richardson stated it was not his intent to stop the work he just wanted to be able to do the same as the Town.
Davis Johnson stated there are not two different standards. If you have identified and verified that there are rare species on your property and have good reason to take some of the trees out around the pond to improve the rare species habitat file with the Conservation Commission and Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Put forth a good rationale that details exactly how the work would be done, when it is to be done and who is responsible for making sure that the work is done in accordance with the filing.
Robert Richardson questioned if the spotted turtle was an endangered species?
Glenn Colburn stated it has been taken off of the list, it was a species of special concern, not an endangered species.
Joan Watson 48 State Street questioned what was going to happen at the top of the hill?
Leslie Duthie stated nothing is proposed at the top of the hill, the forest beyond the Keough property will not be touched.
Glenn Colburn stated the request for determination is whether the work proposed is subject to the Wetlands Protection Act. He moved to give negative determinations for work in an area subject to protection under the Act, but will not remove, fill, dredge or alter that area and does not require the filing of a Notice of Intent, and work within the Buffer Zone as defined in the regulations, but does not alter and area subject to protection under the act and does not require the filing of a Notice of Intent.
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
Voting aye: Glenn Colburn and Davis Johnson.
Leslie Duthie abstained.
8:30 Leslie Duthie stated she had solicited three bids for the tree cutting on Carpenter Road, and as a Town entity would take the lowest bid.
Glenn Colburn questioned if it would be possible to do the herbicide treatment in the spring and follow up with another treatment in the fall?
Leslie Duthie stated no, under the terms of the grant all work must be completed by June 30, 2016.
8.40 Sergey Savonin was scheduled to meet with the Commission regarding 12 Bethany Road but is not in attendance at the meeting.
Leslie Duthie stated she checked the site and the developer has removed the silt fence without permission from the Commission and has graded right up to the stone wall. The site is not stable and the silt fence must be replaced, installed properly to prevent erosion and left in place until the Commission allows the removal. There is still the issue of the trees that should have been planted.
Glenn Colburn stated Mr. Savonin must not only plant the trees but make sure they are nurtured until they are well established. The Commission has communicated to the Building Commissioner that it has not signed off on 12 Bethany Road.
Glenn Colburn stated he believed that fill has been pushed into bordering vegetated wetland on property owned by Glenn Rossi, Silver Street. There was an old barn and pile of dirt by the road, and it appears as though the dirt has been flattened out and pushed into the BVW to make a parking area.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission should write a letter and ask the property owner to come to a meeting.
The Commission discussed the possibility of holding a ribbon cutting ceremony on the Skorupski property on Silver Street in the spring.
Glenn Colburn stated the parking area should be defined.
Leslie Duthie agreed stating there are lots of areas to park, the Commission should define the parking area it wanted.
Leslie Duthie stated she would look into a map of all the Town owned land.
Leslie Duthie stated Dan Laroche spoke to her about land on Lemon Road that the Wilbraham Conservation Trust wanted to give to the Monson Conservation Commission. She stated she explained to Mr. Laroche that this same offer was made several years ago but nothing came of it because there was no deed, description or clear title to the land.
9:00 Leslie Duthie moved to adjourn.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
It was so voted, unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda A. Hull
| 
