MEMBERS PRESENT: Betty Warren, Audrey Delnicki, Richard Muller, Barbara Kelly, Mario Marrero Jack Phillips, Carol Heffler
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Roy Szoka sat for Jim Kupchunos
STAFF PRESENT: Jeff Folger, Environmental Planner/Conservation Officer
Kathy Middleton, Recording Secretary
Chairperson Warren called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM
ITEM: CORRESPONDENCE & REPORTS
Warren stated that Appl. #07-63P – Sunrise Development – 200 Deming Street – Inland Wetland/Conservation Commission application for the construction of a 80 unit assisted living facility and associated improvements on property located northerly of Deming Street and easterly of Buckland Road. Gateway Development (GD) Zone has been officially received.
Warren also stated that a fax was received from Design Professionals requesting to reschedule the meeting for Caron, 590 Sullivan Avenue application.
Warren read a memo from Mannarino Builders requesting that Appl. # 07-53P Dzen Tree Farm Subdivision- Mannarino Builders- 12 Barber Hill Road, Abbe Road, Maskel Road – Inland Wetland/Conservation Commission application for a sixty-four lot residential subdivision and associated improvements on property located westerly of Barber Hill Road and easterly of Maskel Road. Rural Residential (RR) Zone be granted a 30 day extension to open the hearing at the first meeting in December.
Warren stated that a draft of the 2008 proposed meeting schedule was received and the Commission accepted the dates as presented.
ITEM: CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Folger stated that there were seven or eight girl scouts, two college students, and four Commission members helped clear the trails at the Wildlife Sanctuary on Neiderwerfer Road. Folger stated that they revoked 10 feet of meadow. Folger stated that there are a lot of invasives which are mostly bittersweet. Folger stated that the upper area still needs to be done. Commissioner Muller offered to help.
Folger stated that a scout built another wildlife blind down at Donnelly on the interior of the site.
ITEM: WETLAND OFFICER’S REPORT
Folger stated that he has done a lot of field work on the applications that have been received to date. Folger stated that there haven’t been any problems with the construction sites. It is still dry, not a lot of runoff because the ground has soaked up a lot of the rain.
ITEM: PUBLIC HEARING
Heffler read the legal notice into the record stating that Appl. #07-53P – Mannarino Builders – Dzen Tree Farm Subdivision - 12 Barber Hill Road, Abbe Road, Maskel Road – Inland Wetland/Conservation Commission application for a sixty-four lot residential subdivision and associated improvements on property located westerly of Barber Hill Road and easterly of Maskel Road. Rural Residential (RR) Zone has been postponed.
Muller asked what the status was on Mannarino. Folger stated that they are analyzing the soil on the site and Folger stated that the Town asked them to take samples of the pond and samples of the sediments in the pond as well.
ITEM: NEW BUSINESS
1. Appl. #07-61P – The Hillstead Senior Residence – 25 Gerber Road – Conservation Commission application for the construction of a 88 unit senior residence development and associated improvements on property located southerly of Kelly Road and easterly of Gerber Road West. I-Industrial Zone.
Peter DeMallie came before the Commission and stated that Metro Realty has identified another site for 88 units for an elderly housing project. DeMallie stated that this project is an affordable housing project and are going to be residences that are for below the median income for the Hartford area. DeMallie stated it qualifies as an affordable housing project and people are eligible to apply under CT General Statute 8-30G which allows Metro Realty to apply for this project in the Industrial Zone because the northerly part of the Gerber Scientific property is a transitional parcel. DeMallie stated that Metro Realty met with the Kelly Road neighborhood and the project was favorably received.
DeMallie stated that they can identify some of the provisions of the regulations normally applied to an elderly apartment complex such as impervious coverage. DeMallie stated that they are allowed to vary from those provisions and if they were to apply the Industrial Zone, development could occur at 65% impervious coverage and 50% building coverage. DeMallie stated that they are not covering what would normally be allowed for the underlying zone.
Geoff Sager, President of Metro Realty came before the Commission and stated that they will not be using the appeals procedure that CT General Statute 8-30G allows and stated that they will be delivering a letter to the Town of South Windsor stating that in the event that they are denied they will go home and not appeal.
Karen Isherwood, Project Engineer for Design Professionals came before the Commission and stated that the site is 11.91 acres. The slope is to the southeast about 4-5%. There is an existing 119 lot parking area. Isherwood stated that the northerly section will be 9.58 acres which is a .31 acre reduction because the town has an interest to realign Kelly Road. Isherwood stated that she has been working with town staff and have used what the town was proposing as a taking line and stated that this application will offer that to the town for future improvements to Kelly Road. Isherwood stated that the runoff runs southerly to the adjacent lot. Isherwood stated that all water leaves the property and runs off to the adjacent properties or onto the right of way and enters the stormwater system
into a 36” pipe which goes through an easement on lot 3 of the Gerber Industrial Park and ties into an existing catch basin and then into a drainage system for I-84 Corridor.
Isherwood made the following statements regarding the development for the application:
- There will be 4 two story buildings of 22 units each.
- There will be eleven units on the top floor and eleven units on the bottom floor.
- 118 parking spaces (88 are required)
- Proposing a 40 x 63 community building
- Entrance will be as far south on Gerber Road East with a boulevard entrance
- Utilities are from Kelly Road
- Sanitary sewer exits the site from the proposed easement to an existing sewer main located on lot 2
- 65% for underlying zone, requirements for elderly housing keep it at 40% with the 8.95 acres are at 44%,
- Detention basin encroaches on lot 5 and is under a grading easement allowing a portion of the basin to be on that property. Therefore if you incorporate the .44% which will not be paved it will be at 40.6% impervious coverage.
Isherwood made the following statements regarding erosion and sediment control measures:
- Plan meets all of the requirements for erosion and sedimentation control.
- Providing a primary for of treatment for water quality runoff (micro pool extended detention basin)
- Micro pool extended detention basin requires 10% of water quality volume be permanently retained within the four bay.
- Proposing 2865 cu ft which is 21 ½ % of the water quality volume for the eight acres of runoff that are entering the basin which exceeded the 20% minimum required for a micro pool extended basin.
- As a secondary measure a 20 foot long AVS water quality unit and is capable of treating a flow of 1.47 cu ft. per second.
- Sediment basins are located adjacent to each of the catch basin structures.
- Anti-track entrance pad
- Hay bales around each of the catch basin structures
Isherwood stated that she received comments from Jeff Folger and stated that an addendum has been submitted addressing his comments. Isherwood stated that she spoke with the Vernon’s Town Engineer and he had no concerns.
Ben Wheeler, Landscape Architect for Design Professionals cam before the Commission and stated that a mixture of Evergreen and deciduous trees will be used. Evergreen trees will be used to supplement the berms to provide screening from the existing Gerber Building. A mix of Norway spruce and white pine trees that are about 6-8 feet tall will be planted for screening purposes. Wheeler stated that there is a row of evergreen trees along Kelly Road that will be removed. They are in the area that will be deeded to the town as part of the Kelly Road reconstruction and have been put in the landscape plan to be removed and replaced with more white pine and Norway spruce trees. Throughout the site there will be a mixture of deciduous trees such as maple, oak, and ash.
In the bottom of the detention/water quality basin there will be a New England wet mix, which is a native wetland mixture of sedges and rushes and plants of that nature that can handle the water. Wheeler stated that around the perimeter of the basin on the slopes another low maintenance mix will be used. The specification for the lawn areas throughout the site is rye grass and Kentucky blue grass. Addressing Folgers comment of adding a different seed mix to be used to help stabilize the slopes over 3 to 1, Wheeler stated that a mixture of perennial rye grass, bird’s foot tree coil and smooth brome grass has been proposed. Wheeler stated that it is a low maintenance material that doesn’t have to be mowed. Wheeler stated that there will be a mix of flowering shrubs around the
buildings. The courtyard area will have two flowering plum trees and in the front of the building there will be flowering pear trees.
Isherwood came before the Commission and stated that they are providing a 20 foot-wide emergency access driveway at the request of the fire marshal. Isherwood stated that it will only be used for emergency access and will not be a through way for cars. Isherwood stated that there were other questions that were raised which have been addressed.
John Donlon, a representative from Gerber Scientific came before the Commission and gave a presentation about the history and the contamination issue on the site. Donlon stated that in the 1970’s the site was served by on-site septic systems until 1978. Donlon stated that one of the septic systems was found to be contaminated in 1983 with a chlorine solvent that was used by Gerber. This chemical contaminated the soil around the septic system and entered the ground water. The DEP issued orders against Gerber to investigate the extent of contamination and to develop a plan to remediate it. Donlon stated that beginning in 1983 Gerber did studies that have lasted over a twenty year period. In 1990, one hundred and fifty (150) tons of contaminated soil was removed from the site.
Donlon stated that the most recent testing that was done between 2000 and 2001 show that the levels of trichloroethylene that were in the groundwater is in compliance with all state standards for soil and groundwater except for the volatilization criteria. Donlon stated that Gerber has put restrictions in place. Donlon stated that the southern corner is subject to environmental land use restriction which restricts building on that piece of land.
Donlon stated that in March of 2004, DEP issued an approval letter to Gerber stating that they had addressed all of the issues under the orders that were issued in 1983 and that Gerber was in conformance with the remediation standard.
Folger asked if there was a chance that there could be movement from the detention basin to the contaminated area. Donlon stated that he could not state whether that could happen or not.
Mike Ainsworth, Geologist with HRP Associates came before the Commission and stated that they have been hired by Metro Realty to do environmental investigations of the property including putting in additional groundwater monitoring wells to see if there was any potential impact at the Gerber site. Ainsworth stated that three wells were installed. Ainsworth stated that the groundwater is about 20 to 27 feet below ground level. Ainsworth stated that the flow is to the south east and he does not see any detrimental effect by not having the clay lining to prevent the infiltration.
Kelly asked if the plume reaches the surface water at the Hockanum will it dissipate. Ainsworth stated that there is another well next to the Hockanum River. Ainsworth stated that the well has been tested and is clean. Ainsworth stated that there is no demonstrated effect in surface water based on the data.
Warren asked how often the wells are monitored. Ainsworth stated that they were monitored up to the year 2001 and stated that the DEP was satisfied and decided that monitoring was no longer necessary.
Muller asked if the chemical will break down and what happens to it. Ainsworth stated that it is becoming diluted and is spreading out as the chemicals stick to the rock and get broken down. A study was done to see if there was a potential risk from the volatilization levels that could enter the building. Ainsworth stated that the levels that were found were acceptable and that he does not see any detrimental effect.
Marrero asked if the pines trees were going to stay. Wheeler stated that the landscaping plan is not fully accurate. Wheeler stated that the intention is to revise the grading plan in the area so that the only pine trees that would need to be removed are those that are for the emergency access.
There were no public comments. Warren asked Folger if his comments were addressed to his satisfaction. Folger stated that they were addressed.
Motion to approve - Appl. #07-61P – The Hillstead Senior Residence – 25 Gerber Road – Conservation Commission application for the construction of an 88 unit senior residence development and associated improvements on property located southerly of Kelly Road and easterly of Gerber Road West. I-Industrial Zone.
Was made by Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by Commissioner Phillips
The motion carried
The vote was as follows: unanimous
Conditions
1. One blueprint copy of the entire set of plans and this letter reproduced thereon must be submitted to this Commission. This must be completed within 65 days of approval prior to any construction activity on the site. Plans submitted to Planning & Zoning Commission shall be considered having met this requirement.
2. The application shall indemnify and hold harmless the Town of South Windsor against any liability, which might result from the proposed operation or use.
3. The permit is valid for five years and shall expire on November 7, 2012. It is the landowner(s)/applicant(s) responsibility to track expiration dates and notify the Commission of a renewal request at least 65 days prior to expiration.
4. All approvals required must be obtained and submitted prior to any activity on the site.
5. A contact person shall be identified on the plans.
6. We recommend a bond in the amount of $50,000 be submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission to ensure compliance with the erosion and sediment control measures and a $25,000 bond for stormwater structures and establishment of vegetation within the basin.
ITEM: DETERMINATION OF PUBLIC HEARING
Motion to hold a public hearing on Appl. #07-63P – Sunrise Development – 200 Deming Street – Inland Wetland/Conservation Commission application for the construction of an 80 unit assisted living facility and associated improvements on property located northerly of Deming Street and easterly of Buckland Road. Gateway Development (GD) Zone due to the potential for public interest and the potential impact to the intermittent watercourse.
Was made by: Commissioner Phillips
Seconded by: Commissioner Szoka
The motion carried
The vote was unanimous
ITEMS: MINUTES
9-19-07 minutes were accepted as corrected by consensus of the Commission.
10-3-07 minutes were accepted by consensus of the Commission.
10-17-07 minutes were accepted by consensus of the Commission.
ITEM: ADJOURNMENT
Motion to: adjourn the meeting at 8:40 PM
Was made by Commissioner Phillips
Seconded by Commissioner Kelly
The motion carried
The vote was as follows: unanimous
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathy Middleton
Recording Secretary
| 
