 |
MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, February 20, 2014 – 7:22 p.m.
Town Hall, 1st Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street, Old Saybrook
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Judith Preston called the regular meeting to order at 7:22pm.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present
Judith Preston
Brendan McKeown
William Pollock
Walter Smith
Janis Esty
Charles Wehrly
Elizabeth Steffen
Members Absent
J. Colin Heffernan
Staff Present
Sandy Presloe, Wetlands Enforcement Officer
Meryl Tsagronis, Recording Clerk
III. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Minutes – January 16, 2014 Regular Meeting
MOTION to APPROVE the Minutes of the regular meeting of January 16, 2014; MADE: by C. Wehrly; SECONDED: by B. McKeown; VOTING IN FAVOR: J. Preston, B. McKeown, W. Pollock, J. Esty, C. Wehrly, W. Smith; OPPOSED: None; ABSTAINED: E. Steffen; APPROVED: 6-0-1.
None.
C. Committee, Representative & Staff Reports
None.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
Discussion: Potential development, 430 Middlesex Turnpike, Map 57/Lot 41, Gateway Business B-4 District. Owner: Robert C. Sorensen, Agent: Joseph Wren, P.E.
Joseph Wren came before the Commission to discuss the potential development of property in the B-4 zoned area at this address, an area of approximately 4.66 acres. The owner of the property has an interested buyer, however APA regulations limit the usage of the property. J. Wren displayed examples of the type of building the buyer is interested in developing, which are units that would be leased to various contractors. Hypothetically, these contractors may engage in activities such as operating and maintaining an internal combustion engine, and maintenance of vehicles. For the past several years, a trucking company has operated on the property. Wetlands Enforcement Officer Sandy Prisloe explained that the APA regulations were adopted April 1, 2011, and that businesses had 180 days to register a regulated activity. However,
there is no record of a letter having been sent to the property owner Robert Sorensen, therefore the question arises whether or not the activity that had occurred on the property can be registered even though it is outside of the 180 days. S. Prisloe has asked DEEP to advise on the matter.
Commission members discussed the proposal, stating concerns about what happens when ownership of the property changes and how would regulations be enforced; there was concern about the management of a building with multiple tenants, and concern about the storage and washing of equipment, storage of chemicals, oil changes, and discarding of non-usable equipment, and how close the development would come to wetlands. It was suggested that perhaps there could be a condition that an annual inspection must occur and a report filed with the Commission to insure compliance. J. Wren reminded the members that regulated activities must not exceed 10% of the building space, per APA regulations, adding that development would not occur close to any wetlands. Members agreed they would like to hear what the State has to say regarding
whether or not the property can now be registered.
B. McKeown left the meeting at 8:15pm.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:18 P.M. until the next Regularly Scheduled Meeting of the Aquifer Protection Agency scheduled for, Thursday, March 20, 2014, Town Hall, 302 Main Street, 1st Floor Conference Room; MADE by C. Heffernan; SECONDED by W. Pollock ; VOTED IN FAVOR: J. Preston, W. Pollock, J. Esty, C. Wehrly, W. Smith, E. Steffen;OPPOSED: None; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Meryl Tsagronis
Recording Clerk
| |
