Salem Conservation Commission
Minutes of Meeting
Date and Time: Thursday, April 10, 2008, 6:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Third Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street
Members Present: Chairperson Kevin Cornacchio, Keith Glidden, Amy Hamilton, David Pabich
Members Absent: Michael Blier, Joseph Furnari, David Summer
Others Present: Frank Taormina, Staff Planner, Harbor Coordinator
Recorder: Andrea Bray
Chairperson Cornacchio calls the meeting to order.
1. Approval of Minutes: March 13 and 27 Meetings
Pabich: Motion to approve the minutes from the March 13, 2008 meeting, seconded by Glidden. Passes 3-0. Voting members are Cornacchio, Glidden, and Pabich.
Hamilton makes a suggestion for an amendment to the March 27 minutes.
Pabich: Motion to approve the amended minutes from the March 27, 2008 meeting, seconded by Hamilton. Passes 4-0. Voting members are Cornacchio, Glidden, Hamilton, Pabich.
2. Request for a Determination of Applicability – City of Salem, 5 Broad Street, Salem, MA in conjunction with Salem Sound Coast Watch, 200 Washington Street, Salem, MA
Cornacchio reads the legal public hearing notice, which states that the purpose of this hearing is for a determination of work related to the removal of an eight-inch abandoned PVC pipe extending from the seawall out to the harbor adjacent to Pioneer Village in Forest River Park.
Cornacchio reads a letter dated April 3, 2008 from Doug Boland, Chair, Parks and Recreation Services, which supports the removal of the pipe. He states that the city has completed a WPA Form 1.
Barbara Warren, of Salem Sound Coast Watch, says that the pipe is not that long, about 30 feet, and it is actually two pipes that are connected.
Pabich suggest that she begin at the mud line and get the downstream pipe first.
Warren says they will do it on April 24 or 25.
Pabich suggests attaching it to a chain on a truck and pull it up.
Cornacchio suggests using a nylon strap, not a chain.
Glidden suggests breaking it open and digging out the sand.
Pabich suggest cutting it into manageable segments with a saw.
Cornacchio states that Duques has suggested a -2.
Taormina recommends that the approval show in parenthesis that this project is a “temporary disturbance, betterment project”.
Cornacchio reads the description of the project.
Pabich: Motion to issue a -2 Determination, seconded by Hamilton. Passes 4-0
3. Notice of Intent – City of Salem, 5 Broad Street, Salem, MA
Cornacchio reads the legal public hearing notice, which states that the purpose of this hearing is to discuss the reconstructive maintenance of the existing City of Salem boat ramp located at the Kernwood Marina. Work will include demolition of the existing concrete ramp and reconstruction of a 30-foot wide ramp, including a row of 6-foot wide pile, which held floating boarding docks. The proposed work will occur in the following resource areas; land under the ocean, coastal beach, coastal bank, and land subject to coastal storm flowage at Kernwood Marina.
Cornacchio reads a letter of support dated April 3, 2008, from Doug Bollen, Chair, Parks and Recreation Services.
Dave Anderson, for FST Engineers, provides green card receipts to Taormina, and a letter of information regarding the project. He states there is no shellfish habitat on the site. He says that this is prime territory and heavily used. He explains that a steel sheet pile cofferdam and silt curtain will be place around the perimeter in order to isolate the entire project, and the water will be pumped out of there. He states that about one-third of the cost of this project is going toward protection. He requests that the commission not to demand too many additional costly controls on this project, which is already an isolated area.
Anderson states that they will steepen the ramp to about a 15% grade on the end, and install prop watch pads. He adds that the ramp width will increase to 30 feet, and they will add floating boat docks near the ramp. He says that this new ramp will have riprap, similar to the existing ramp, to protect the sides, and they will add areas of concrete fill. He states that there is spartina on one side of the ramp and this must be considered while locating the cofferdam. He says that the cofferdam will be designed by the contractor.
Cornacchio asks what is below the mud line.
Anderson states that there might be some ledge and he has provided a detail for setting the pilings into the rock by drilling. He says that this is a 4-6 month project, costing about $500,000.
Pabich asks what will prevent the prop wash area from silting over.
Anderson states that it might silt over.
Pabich says that it would be bad if the ramp silted over but might not be too bad if the prop watch area silted over.
Anderson states that the silt will be removed and properly disposed during the construction. He states that there will be trucks and stockpiled materials on the site.
Pabich states that this NOI should be conditioned with having a presentation with the contractor, who will describe his project in detail.
Anderson suggests that the NOI require that the developer follow his outline of standards.
Pabich agrees to use this document and iterates the need to have the contractors come before the commission.
Glidden agrees and states that contractors need to appear before the commission to confirm the need to follow these standards.
Taormina suggests having a pre-construction meeting at the commission’s regular meeting, and the members agree.
Pabich states that the document is very thorough.
Cornacchio opens to the public. There are no questions or comments.
Cornacchio suggest scheduling a site visit on Thursday, April 24, at 4:30 PM.
Pabich: Motion to continue this hearing until April 24, with a site visit on the same day at 4:30 PM, seconded by Hamilton. Passes 4-0.
Old/New Business
4. Discussion of activities at 43 Valley Street, development of an in-ground pool and filing after the fact
Cornacchio states that the homeowner has worked closely with Duques to comply with the regulations, removing trash and debris from the drain and the surrounding area.
Pabich suggests using an expedited process (simplified NOI), or an RDA, if appropriate.
Glidden says the applicant can take advantage of the current regulations.
Taormina says that this could be done with an RDA, after the fact.
Pabich suggests treating this situation as a new filing, as if the pool has not yet been built, and let Duques determine which process will be used for approval of this project.
5. Request for an Extension to existing Order of Conditions - DEP #64-394 – 329 Highland Avenue – Demolition of existing structure and development of Irving Oil Gas Station
Cornacchio states they may need another three years.
Taormina states that the project is complete with the exception of the plantings in the riverfront.
Cornacchio reads a letter requesting an extension.
Pabich: Motion to grant an extension until June 5, 2009, seconded by Glidden. Passes 4-0.
6. Feedback from members who attended Land Use Boards Meeting held Saturday, March 29
The members discuss the ethics and the conflict-of-interest discussions from the meeting.
7. Piles of Dirt on the Salem/Beverly Bridge
Pabich states that these piles on the bridge must be removed. He asks Taormina to see that they are removed.
…
Pabich: Motion to adjourn, seconded by Glidden. Passes 5-0.
The meeting is adjourned at 7:40 PM.
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