Town of Old Lyme Open Space Commission
Meeting Minutes
Friday, February 13, 2015
In Attendance: Mary Stone, Peter Cable, George James, Bill Dunbar, Bruce Baratz
Absent: Amanda Blair, Evan Griswold
Minutes: Mary Stone wanted the minutes to reflect that Peter Cable should be given credit for flow chart showing steps of the Acquisition Protocol.
Bill Dunbar made a motion to approve the minutes. Mary Stone seconded. All voted in favor.
Election of Officers: Motion made by Bill Dunbar that the same officers who served in 2014 be reelected for 2015. Mary Stone seconded. All voted in favor.
The Chair distributed paper copies of the new Open Space GIS layer. Chair gave one to the First Selectwoman and it now resides under the glass of the table in her office.
New Business
BOUNDARY SURVEYS needed. Ames w/ Sanders. Bartholomew/Machnik, Ames/Evergreen Trail, Champlain North/Hillwood East, Champlain South/Tooker. Chair asked for recommendations and will get quotes. Mary Stone moved to authorize Chair to get quotes from surveyors to ascertain exact boundaries of three areas mentioned. Bill Dunbar seconded, all voted in favor.
PHRAGMITIE REMOVAL-ARTICLE FOR OLD LYME EVENTS- Snowy Egret Wetlands LLC will be working soon to complete. DEEP Wildlife Biologist and other DEEP staff had visited and commented while Malcolm Hill had been working. They appreciated us trying to control the phragmities without pesticides. They informed Malcolm that there had been a major turtle die-off in Eklund Pond. They had not been able to determine the cause. Peter noted that this was accomplished at no additional cost to the town, but within the Open Space commission’s budget.
Property Update
KUS
Chair met with First Selectwoman Reemsnyder re: next steps. Chair will be meeting with Art Bogen, Kus family representative today. Chair will make a verbal offer to purchase the property partially for restricted use open space and partially for unrestricted general town. The town would work with the DEEP to manage and complete the closure requirements. The First Selectwoman is enthusiastic about the site abutting Ryefield Manor as a future affordable housing site. She serves on the newly merged HOPE Partnership.
OPPORTUNITIES TO USE NRCS GRANTS
Old Business
LAND STEWARD LISA NICCOLAI ON TRAIL MAPPING PROJECT
Lisa has been working on maps for Town Open Space properties: Champlain North and South, Ames and Bartholomew. She has gotten data from Ted Crosby that has been very helpful. Lisa has talked to the AppGeo folks and they will link the maps on Old Lyme’s MapGeo site to each property so you will be able to actually see the trails on the town map online. Lisa will meet with Chris Clayton of OLLT and Diana to agree on trail colors, names, legends, etc. etc to standardize the maps. Trail descriptions, history, flora, fauna, points of interests, formica ants, mushrooms, whatever we can had. Lisa recommends that kiosks updating should be a priority.
OPEN SPACE DOCUMENTS
Mary Stone distributed a revised priorities list. Commission members should review the revised document and comment. Mary will email it out. A question arose regarding “establish a town forest” needs to be better defined: does it mean forest products, harvesting? Lisa will eventually be working on habitat management plans for all of our properties. In addition, the State’s 2015 revised GREEN PLAN, State POC&D, Wildlife Management Plan and Forest Management Plans will inform out work as well as the Town’s 2020 POC&D. This list needs to be reviewde with a 2015 perspective. Town forest something that is managed, a management area. Public does not necessarily believe in managed forests. Fragmented means to some that it is not managed. Is it a priority to have a managed forest in Old Lyme? In fact, the Town
already has “town forests” in Ames, Champlain North and South.
NO REPORT ON OPEN SPACE PROTOCOL OR VOLUNTEER POLICY
We need to find members for the Open Space Commission. Chair will put out P.R. material about openings. All town agencies are looking for people.
GREENWAY
Chair has pursued all external options for greenway map done @1997. CRERPA and State do not have it. Chair found it in old map files of hers. Needs to be reviewed along with today’s concept of a Greenway. Need to review State’s requirements. And make it specifically Old Lyme. Corridors for habitat, existing trails for recreation, acquifers – needs definition in light of new information regarding coastal inundations, current water protection goals, etc.
George reported that Foster brothers now own the 80 acres on the Boston Post Rd.
Smith development at Short Hills for sale @80 acres. Tooker owns remainder.
Motion to adjourn at 10:38am.
Daj 3.11.15
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