TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK
Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission
302 Main Street Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-1741
Telephone (860) 395-3131 FAX (860) 395-1216
MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING – “THE PRESERVE”
Monday, February 27, 2006 at 7:30 P.M
OLD SAYBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL
60 SHEFFIELD STREET
I. CALL TO ORDER
At 7:35 p.m., Chairman Paul Smith called to order a special meeting of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC) for the purpose of deliberating Application #05-016.
II. ROLL CALL
Attendant Members Absent Members
Paul Smith, Chairman None.
Charles Sohl, Vice Chairman, Zoning Rep.
William Pollock, Secretary
Kevin Zawoy, Regular Member
Frank Reichart, Economic Development Rep.
Robert McIntyre, Planning Rep.
Judy Preston, Conservation Rep.
Town Staff and Consultants
Damon Hearne, Wetlands Enforcement Officer
Whitney McKendree Moore, Recording Clerk
Michael Cronin, Esq., Consulting Legal Counsel
Kati Drzewianowski, Consulting Civil Engineer
Mary Armstrong, Consulting Golf Course Architect
R. Richard Snarski, Consulting Soil and Wetlands Scientist
Chairman Smith began by noting that all seven Commissioners were present. The meeting began with an update from Attorney Cronin on the status of these deliberations now that the DEP has rejected the applicant’s request for a bridge over the railway. Since the viaduct does not affect the deliberations of this Commission, and since the applicant has not withdrawn Application 05-016, the IWWC needs to move forward, Mr. Cronin said. The decision regarding that bridge does not impede the IWWC from making their decision, nor does it, in any way, affect the formulation of that decision.
III. DELIBERATION
05-016 “The Preserve” – River Sound Development, LLC
Application to construct an open-space subdivision country club, golf course community (934 acres total) and open space (542.2 acres) within 100 feet of wetlands (114.5 acres total wetlands).
Residence Conservation C District, Aquifer Protection District
Applicant: River Sound Development, LLC Agent: Attorney David Royston
Hole 11
This hole lies entirely outside the 100-foot review area and requires no clearing of wetlands. The discharge issue would be mitigated by the Town consultants’ recommendation to eliminate point discharges. Chairman Smith then polled the members, finding every Commissioner registering the potential impacts from this hole as not significant. The discussion moved directly to Hole 12.
Hole 12
Hole 12 also lies entirely outside the area regulated by the IWWC. There was some discussion about the steep slopes and the clearing required for a cart path, but these fall beyond this Commission’s purview unless significant impacts are projected. All seven Commissioners considered the activity here not significant.
Hole 13
Initial polling indicated that two Commissioners out of seven felt this hole could be significant because of the degree to which fragmentation is proposed in the wetland. There was also concern about the amount of grading and the threat of erosion, especially if the matting were to fail during the construction and seeding phase. It was recommended the Commission state that any action on this hole would need to satisfy Town consultants to assure there will be no sedimentation entering wetlands from that area. Eliminating the point discharges would remove some level of concern regarding sediment into the wetland from bio-basins, and there was some discussion about possibly relocating the cart path. By the end of this discussion, five Commissioners felt the activity proposed for Hole 13 would not be significant,
one felt it could be significant, and one felt it would be significant.
Hole 14
This hole is largely outside the Commission’s regulated area. Close scrutiny was given to how much clearing the applicant is requesting and to the issue of point discharges. With an overall directive from the IWWC to replace point discharges with overtopping berms throughout the site, and with their requirement to tighten plans for erosion control, seven out of seven Commissioners registered this hole as not significant.
Hole 15
Six considered this activity not significant; one considered that it would be significant due to the high level of grading disturbances and the 6,000 square feet of wetlands to be cut, including the 25-foot area around the wetland itself. In the discussion of this hole and the one previous, there was considerable discussion of policy regarding clearing heights within and adjacent to the wetlands. The Commissioners are leaning toward a policy of stipulating no less than five-foot heights within wetlands, but higher if designs already call for taller heights in areas surrounding (or adjacent to) the wetlands.
IV. ADJOURNMENT
At this point, so the Chairman requested a motion for adjournment until the next special meeting, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, 2006 in the library of the Old Saybrook Middle School, 60 Sheffield Street.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 p.m. MADE by R. McIntyre. SECONDED by
F. Reichart. VOTED IN FAVOR: W. Pollock, J. Preston, F. Reichart, C. Sohl, P. Smith,
R. McIntyre, K. Zawoy. OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 7-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Whitney McKendree Moore
Recording Clerk
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