OLD LYME OPEN SPACE COMMISSION
MINUTES OF JANUARY 13, 2017
In Attendance: Diana Atwood Johnson, Peter Cable, George James, Amanda Blair, Gary Gregory. Bill Dunbar, Bruce Baratz
Land Steward: Jamie Bastian
1. Welcome/Introductions
2. Quorum established
3. Bill Dunbar moved, Peter Cable seconded approval of the minutes of December 8, 2016. All voted in favor.
4. Election of Officers:
Chair passed out “Guide for Boards, Commissions and Committees”
Diana Atwood Johnson, Amanda Blair and Peter Cable re-elected to
Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary. Bill Dunbar moved, Gary seconded. All in favor.
Diana will look into rules (if any) regarding whether alternates can be
officers and there can be co-vice-chairs
Need to set up an Open Space binder in Land Use or Town Clerk’s office that has paper copies of what OLOSC uses as guiding documents.
5. Chairman’s Report
Beavers: Jamie will go out and take a look at beaver situation as we have received a report that the beavers have left and the water has gone down, and wants to know if we have removed the beavers.
OLOSC has not authorized anything to do with the beavers. Looks like the beaver dam just before the culvert under 1-95 has been removed.
Budget: proposed $14,650. Finance director is recommending $12,912. There is less in our “operating acct” but more in other areas including a line item for a clerk that we do not have, but hope to.
Update on Planning Commission changes to POCD: A workshop is now scheduled for January 31. Chair has talked to Chair of Planning Commission, Harold Thompson. It has helped that all this lack of understanding of the Planning Commission’s intent to revise the town’s POCD has now led to opening the doors of communication amongst the various land use boards and commissions including Inland Wetlands and Zoning. All agreed this will be a worthwhile conversation given what is happening up and down the east coast and
because of the upcoming 2020 new town POCD. OLOSC should have someone from the Gateway-COG speak to us.
Railroad: Railroad officials are likely to disregard expressed concerns as current politicians will be out of office and we’ll all be gone. It will go on the FRA books no matter what. Tunnel seems to be ludicrous proposal considering that because of the amount of slope needed to enter and exit the tunnel, they’ll need 5 or 6 miles of tunnel, not @ one mile. So that takes us back to the bridge. Working regionally is the answer.
No Property Updates
Next Meeting: Big picture of lands we might focus on for acquisition.
6. Other Business:
- Placement of easel with Amanda’s open space display.
- Diana emailed out 1990 map of proposed land use in Old Lyme.
- Jamie will be taking a seminar on GPS for land use in the spring. put on by UCONN Clear.
- Bill Dunbar reported on Plum Island meeting in Old Saybrook.
7. Adjournment
Diana Atwood Johnson, Chair.
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