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, March 6, 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
Geoffrey Jacobsen, Consulting Civil Engineer
Penelope Sharp, Consulting Biologist and Wetlands Scientist
R. Richard Snarski, Consulting Soil and Wetlands Scientist
Russ Slayback, CBG, Hydrogeology Consultant
Chairman Smith called the meeting to order with all seven Commissioners present. He reviewed the timeframe for deliberations, stating that March 16th is the target date for reaching a decision. The next meetings will be devoted to roadways, housing, and ancillary facilities, with this night devoted to the three holes ringing Pequot Swamp (Holes 16, 17, and 18).
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 16
Commissioners reviewed the most recent report from the Town consultants and discussed various issues raised by the activity involved to create this hole. For a full ninety minutes, members weighed impacts within the 100-foot regulated zone, such as the amount of excavation (removing 22,000 – 23,000 yards of material on the north side where Pequot drains out) and the loss of productivity in Vernal Pool 4. There was discussion of alternative approaches that might mitigate some of these concerns. By the end of this lengthy deliberation, Chairman Smith polled the members, finding that four considered the activity significant; three did not.
Hole 17
For the most part, Hole 17 falls outside the 100-foot area regulated by the IWWC. After reviewing the implications of the activity proposed here, along with the Town consultants’ comments, all seven Commissioners felt this would not have significant impacts, and they proceeded to Hole 18.
Hole 18
Initially, all but one Commissioner felt this activity would be significant, even though it is an area completely outside the 100-foot regulated zone. The “after” of this site would be dramatically different from the site as it presently exists, so the Commissioners explored ways in which those differences might include physical changes in Pequot Swamp. Concerns were focused on the long-term implications of such features as bio-basins, which Mr. Snarski said are “designed to infiltrate” and will not function as presented. Much of the challenge facing the IWWC at this hole (as well as others, such as Hole 10) are the unknowns. For example, the Town consultants said they “don’t know how much soil there will be over the ledge… We just don’t know.”
Three Commissioners felt strongly that, because Pequot Swamp is a unique and important wetland, they should know the answers to questions such as these. Chairman Smith indicated that, generally speaking, some of this data would have been provided to the IWWC by this point in an application process, but some data is never expected this early in the process. Ordinarily, some answers do not become available until the final design documents have been developed, which happens after approval. The Commissioners considered the idea that, because this application is atypical, they might require clearance of those final design documents through the Town consultants later in the process. After polling, three Commissioners felt this hole would be significant; three did not (one Commissioner had departed early due to
illness).
Because this hole lies entirely outside the regulated area, Commissioners must document any of their concerns very specifically, (1) defining each impact it considers likely to be “significantly adverse” and (2) citing scientific support for that impact using data from the public record. Polling at the end of this discussion resulted in three Commissioners stating the activity proposed for Hole 18 would be significant, three stating that it would not.
IV. ADJOURNMENT
At this point, the Chairman requested a motion for adjournment until the next special meeting, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, 2006 in the library of the Old Saybrook Middle School, 60 Sheffield Street.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 11:30 p.m. MADE by C. Sohl. SECONDED by
J. Preston. VOTED IN FAVOR: W. Pollock, J. Preston, F. Reichart, P. Smith, R. McIntyre,
C. Sohl; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Whitney McKendree Moore
Recording Clerk
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