Town of Old Lyme Open Space Committee Meeting
Christ the King Church
Minutes: September 14, 2007
Attachments: (1) Letter of August 8, 2007 from Ann Brown, Old Lyme Inland Wetlands Enforcement Officer, to Mark Block, attorney
(2) Letter of September 11, 2007 from Mark Block, attorney, to Diana Atwood Johnson
Chairman Diana Atwood Johnson opened the meeting at 08:35 with OSC members Amanda Blair, Peter Cable, Ted Crosby, Judi Glover, Evan Griswold, George James, and Ted Kiritsis in attendance. Also in attendance were Jack Alexander of Old Lyme and David Kozak, Senior Coastal Planner for the Office of Long Island Sound Programs, CT Department of Environmental Protection.
On motion by Evan seconded by Judi, the minutes for July 13, 2007 were approved by vote.
Subdivisions
a) Lord’s Woods open space encroachment
Diana distributed for examination and committee discussion a letter (attachment (1)) from OL Inland Wetland Enforcement Officer, Ann Brown, to attorney Mark Block, representing the Lord’s Woods developer, indicating that the Inland Wetlands Commission was continuing imposition of the cease and desist order on further activity on Lord’s Woods development pending resolution of outstanding issues on remediation of open space encroachment at the development site and urging attendance of the Lord’s Woods developer, Bassan Awwa, or his representative at the next OSC meeting on September 14, 2007. Diana also presented a letter (attachment (2)) from attorney Mark Block indicating that he would not be able to attend the September 14 OSC meeting because of a conflicting court case and suggesting that, as the result of a suit brought
by Awwa against Tony Hendriks, any meeting between representatives of the Lord’s Woods developer should await resolution of negotiations between Awwa and Hendriks and his insurance carriers. Regarding these developments, the Committee agreed that Diana will contact attorney Block and request his attendance at the scheduled October OSC meeting.
In further consideration of Lord’s Woods, Diana distributed copies of a report by soil scientist, James Sipperly, commissioned by the Town Inland Wetlands Commission and concerned with the degree of encroachment at Lord’s Woods development and recommended remediation actions for unwarranted clearing at the site. In discussion it was agreed that the Sipperly report and recommendations were complete, well thought through and reasonable. Meeting attendee Jack Alexander, after reviewing OSC’s recommendations with respect to remediation costs for Lord’s Woods encroachment, suggested to OSC that a penalty over and above remediation costs should be imposed on the developer because Bassam Awwa and his representatives have been unresponsive to the Town.
Property Updates
a) Ames property
Diana reported that she had met with Steven Ames several times regarding potential purchase of his property off Whippoorwill Road. In these discussions Diana had proposed purchase of the Ames property for $8.8K per acre including a conservation easement on an adjacent 30+ acre property also owned by Steve Ames. In summary, Steve Ames feels that he had previously sold 70 acres of his property to the Town for $700K and he would expect to receive no less an amount per acre on the property currently under consideration. He was not receptive to the argument that Diana presented to him that, in that transaction, the Town had in fact gotten 100 acres, including 30 acres of conservation easement on 200 acres of adjacent, potentially developable, land owned by Steve Ames. In discussion at the meeting, it was understood that the price per acre sought
by Steve Ames might not be acceptable to the Town and it was agreed by the Committee that Diana would stay the course in further discussions with Steve Ames.
Conservation Easements
Diana distributed the draft of a letter she had composed to be sent to owners of Town properties of significant size and conservation value for consideration of donating a conservation easement under Public Act 490 on their property with consequent tax benefits. A list of applicable properties was also distributed and assignments for followup calls to the property-owner letter recipients were agreed to.
Ted Crosby raised the question of the use of identification of easements, open space, Conservation Trust properties, and properties to which Public Act 490 applies on GIS maps.
Coastal Land Assessment Methodology (CLAM) Project Followup
David Kozak, Senior Coastal Planner for the Office of Long Island Sound Programs, CT Department of Environmental Protection met with OSC to obtain further information on land in Old Lyme recognized under CLAM as having important conservation value and to discuss potential promising opportunities for Federal grants to assist in the effort to protect identified properties. Following review and OSC updates of the list of properties previously identified by CT DEP Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP), it was concluded that there are no clear candidates at present for application to obtain Federal funding.
Fall Walk/Work Party
In discussion of the opportunity for a fall work party, George indicated there really wasn’t a need for a work party but that some mowing needed to be done at Champlain North and that there was a need to purchase a 4 cycle weed-whacker having a cost of $200. Upon a motion by Judi, seconded by Ted Kiritsis, it was voted to authorize $200 to purchase a weed-whacker as specified by George.
With regard to a fall walk (likely October), Diana will contact Judy Preston at Tidewater Institute about providing an ecology overview during a walk at either Champlain North or the Deborah and Edward Ames Preserve.
On motion by Ted Kiritsis seconded by Judi it was voted to adjourn the meeting at 11:40.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Cable
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