Town of Old Lyme
Open Space Commission
Minutes
July 10, 2015
In Attendance: Chair Diana Atwood Johnson, Peter Cable, Evan Griswold, Amanda Blair, Bill Dunbar, George James, Bruce Baratz, Mary Stone
Guest: Keith Rosenfield
Minutes: P. Cable moved. Evan Griswold second. All in favor.
Chris Seery has moved onto a fulltime job in East Lyme.
Maps:
Lisa marking trails: Bartholomew done; Champlain North; replacing kiosks maps next step; Old Lyme hiking trails map done w/all OLLT and OLOSC properties w/ trails, also on town’s website courtesy of Ruth Roach, mytowntrails on todo list (no charge w/ads, $400 w/o adv.-share with OLLT-do PR rollout
Boundary Issues/engaging surveyor:
Engaging surveyor to deal with Ames, Bartholomew, Champlain North. Contact original surveyor to do marking, which will definitely save $$$.
Land Steward –no report. Asked to make recommendations re: OLOSC website.
Property List – Distributed to members. Added properties that have been identified by The Nature Conservancy that would serve as hazard mitigation properties in periods of severe sea rise.
Keith Rosenfield, Old Lyme ZEO entered the meeting. Diana invited Keith to talk about his conversation with the Planning Commission over Sound View.
Keith met with property owners from Sound View. If a prop. owner tears down his property, he has to both meet new regulations, when he would like to maximize residential use of property or apply to meet commercial use regs. Based on more density and sewers. Keep it commercial or do high density residential. Approached Planning Comm. to suggest to Zoning to have a one year moratorium in Sound View on rule that says if you tear down you’e got six months to build within your confines. Or Keith suggested that POCD were reviewed, why not do formal update of POCD focusing on high risk areas like Sound View, FEMA, sewer vs non-sewers, development, density, shoreline changes, climate changes, study as a whole, have public hearings, blue ribbon committees, then with that info, suggest various things to all the boards and commissions. Set
the stage with policy, community leaders, government, to make updates to regulations.
Commercial folks in Sound View, with advent of Bike Land Grant, are very interested in having public restrooms and improved parking which has upped the interest.
Put new trails maps with State Trail book; look at greenways that combine points of urban interest, historic sights, trees of interest, etc.; work on Conservation Easements. Assist with making POCD more vibrant. Reach out to community to work on its update whether you get 3 people or 150. What needs to be improved in town, traffic.
Biggest issues that’s coming is Coffee Works becoming Dunkin Donuts.
East Lyme has kicked off study of Stone’s Ranch just recently. Consultant chosen, Planning Comm. lead agency in East Lyme, Matt Davis is point person from consultant. Its about how to make best the army facility, not necessarily to do best for community. They have contacted Jane Cable and Harold Thompson to date.
Keith offered to be point person for Open Space Commission who currently has no specific person in the Land Use Department to work with.
George James re: two water crossings, Champlain South boggy crossing at end of Library Lane and Ames entrance. George shared a picture of bridges made in Lyme by Lyme Boy Scouts as Eagle Scout project. We could do the same with Old Lyme or Lyme, just as project, not necessarily Eagle Scout, just as troop project. We’ll check with Lisa. George will check with Old Lyme Boy Scouts. Evan will find contact.
Amanda Blair re: State property, now Old Lyme’s near her. She would like to purchase the property near her. If town needed money to purchase a piece on Mile Creek Rd, money she would pay for the property near her could go towards purchasing the property on Mile Creek. Diana’s property on Mile Creek not for sale, still interested in swap. She would like to benefit town, but may talk to State under CELP program.
Meeting adjourned at 10:30
Diana Atwood Johnson, Chair
| 
