MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson Betty Warren, Philip Forzley, Carol Heffler, Audrey Delnicki, Barbara Kelly, Richard Nicholson, and John O’Connell
STAFF PRESENT: Jeffrey H. Folger, Environmental Planner/
Conservation Officer
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Richard Muller sitting for Audrey Wasik
ITEM: Correspondence & Reports
Chairperson Warren received a fax from Marjorie Anthony, Chairperson for EDC. Joe DeMaio will be the EDC liaison for IWA, he has requested to receive IWA minutes.
A memo from Walter Mealy, Chairman of Planning & Zoning Commission was received. He wanted to thank the Commission for their attendance at the Special meeting held on January 30, 2001. He also is requesting another meeting be held in March. Commission members came up with two dates which are March 27, 2001 or March 28, 2001. The date will be confirmed at a later time.
New England Wild Flower Society is looking for volunteers.
Hartford County Soil & Water Conservation District has a new manager, his name is Joshua Clague.
ITEM: Minutes
It was the general consensus of the Commission to approve the February 7, 2001 minutes.
ITEM: Conservation Commission
Jeff told Commission members that he will be contacting scout troops to see if they are interest in more planting projects.
Benedict Drive
The pump station, which is close to Avery Brook, has been updated. Fred Shaw informed Jeff that they plan on putting riprap on the banks. Will be looking for volunteers for a stream bank stablization project.
ITEM: Wetland Officer’s Report
Jeff has sent Town Attorney Barry Guliano a request for legal action for Mr. Krawski.
Jeff said he was contracted by Darcy Winter who is with DEP. She will be holding a seminar on June 6, 2001 regarding detention basins. She has asked Jeff to speak at this discussion, and although this is an IWA/CC meeting night, Commission members felt this would be a good opportunity.
ITEM: Old Business
Appl. #01-01P – Michael Lanza
Mr. Michael Lanza came before the Commission to represent this application. He explained that he currently lives at 57 Bourbon Street. He would like to request an additional building lot approved on his property. There has been no activities proposed in the wetlands, but most of the proposed house would be in the upland review area. Mr. Lanza informed the Commission that he would not have any problems constructing the house differently in order to have less disturbance in the upland review area.
Chairperson Warren stated that her concern is that the wetlands are not flagged.
Jeff had researched if the wetlands had ever been delineated and found that the Town wetland map had been used to locate the wetlands. Jeff feels that the Town wetland map is closely accurate in this case.
Mr. Lanza explained that he would like to keep the house as far away from the wetlands and upland review area as possible. He told the Commission he would be working on the placement of the house and also stated he would like to place a conservation easement on a portion of his property. Mr. Lanza explained he would work on some wording for this conservation easement and present it to the Commission at a later date.
Commissioner Forzley felt a Soil Scientist should delineate the wetlands because it is part of the application process and would not want anything to come back at Jeff in the future.
Commission members discussed this situation at length and it was the general consensus of the Commission to have the applicant hire a Soil Scientist to flag the wetlands. It was also felt that the house should staked in the field. The house will not be staked until the snow has melted.
This application was continued.
Appl. #00-50P – Savings Bank of Rockville
Mr. Kent Schwendy from Fuss & O’Neill came before the Commission to represent this application. He explained that the site is 2 ½ acres with 65% of this total site being wetlands. There will be no wetland disturbance , but there will be .07 acres of disturbance to the upland review area. Sixteen parking spaces are proposed for this site and standard sedimentation control measures will be used during construction.
Chairperson Warren voiced her concerns about this application. She explained that there is more disturbance than originally anticipated. She felt that a three-story building will ruin the aesthetics of the area.
Mr. Schwendy told members that other plans were looked at but the plan before the Commission tonight is the most marketable size.
Commission members discussed the need for management of the phragmites. Mr. Richard Ryan a consultant for the Savings Bank of Rockville explained that the maintenance plan would be Savings Bank of Rockville’s responsibility until the land is transferred to a new owner. The responsibility would then transfer with the property.
Mr. Richard Nicholson recused himself from this application.
Commission members discussed the number of parking spaces on the site and it was felt that if the number of spaces were reduced, it could benefit the disturbance to the upland review area.
Many of the Commissioners voiced their displeasure at this additional development of the property, and admitted that the opportunity to place constraints on further development was during the initial application in 1999.
It was stated for the record that it is the clear intent of the Commission that any further development on this property is unwanted.
Motion to: Approve with conditions appl. #00-50P – Savings Bank of Rockville Site Plan, Clark Street, Inland Wetland/Conservation Commission application for the construction of an office building, parking lot, and associated improvements on property located easterly of Clark Street and southerly of Ellington Road (Assessor’s Map #51, parcel #1), RC Restricted Office zone.
Was made by Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by Commissioner Phillips
The motion: carried
The vote was as follows: 7 to 1 with Commissioners Delnicki, Forzley, Heffler, Kelly, O’Connell, Phillips and Muller voting in favor of approval of this application and Commissioner Warren voting against approval of this application.
ITEM: Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:40 p.m.
Was made by Commissioner Forzley
Seconded by Commissioner Phillips
The motion: carried
The vote was as follows: unanimous
Respectfully submitted:
_________________________ _____________________
Deborah W. Reid Date Approved
Recording Secretary
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