TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
INLAND WETLANDS/CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes - 1 - January 19, 2011
MEMBERS PRESENT: Elizabeth Warren, Barbara Kelly, John Blondin, Audrey Delnicki, Hugh Brower, Carol Heffler
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Richard Muller, sitting for Jack Phillips
STAFF PRESENT: Jeff Folger, Environmental Planner
Donna Thompson, Recording Secretary
THE FOLLOWING ARE MOTIONS MADE DURING THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE INLAND WETLANDS AGENCY/ CONSERVATION COMMISSION – MADDEN ROOM
Chairperson Warren called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm
ITEM: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: none
ITEM: PERMIT EXTENSIONS: none
ITEM: CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS: none
ITEM: BONDS: none
ITEM: MINUTES: Minutes from 1/5/2011 were approved as corrected by consensus.
ITEM: CONSERVATION COMMISSION: Folger: Not much happening due to snow. Open space being used for cross country skiing and snow shoeing much more than in previous years. Warren asked is the sledding hill at the sanctuary is being used, but Folger didn’t know. Folger reported that there is cross country skiing being done in the sanctuary.
ITEM: WETLAND OFFICER’S REPORT: Folger distributed a Wetland Application Flow Chart to provide the Commissioners with the timelines involved in the application process.
ITEM: PUBLIC HEARING: Chairperson Warren called the Public Hearing to order at 7:04 pm.
Appl. #10-51P, Land Resource Consultants Inc – 1559 Sullivan Ave. – Continuation of public hearing, IWA/CC application for the construction of an office building grading, parking, stormwater utilities, and associated improvements on property located north of Ellington Road, and west of Sullivan Avenue. Restricted Commercial Zone (RC).
Pat Gorman, principal of the LRC Group, represented Land Resource Consultants Inc. Mr. Gorman referred to the most current correspondence regarding the mitigation being recommended. The wetlands mitigation proposed is a 1,000 ft long elevated boardwalk to be built based on staff recommendations, with a bond of $25,000 agreed to by Mr. Gorman’s client. The exact location of the trail will be field determined - dependent upon topography. Mr. Gorman stated all staff comments, including the Town Engineer’s, received at this point are agreed to as conditions of approval. All plans will be revised to reflect these recommendations prior to submission to Planning and Zoning.
Folger: South Windsor Land Trust will allow both foot and/or bicycle traffic across their property. This is one of the things that precipitated shortening the length of the trail and utilizing it as more of a multi-use rather than simply foot traffic.
Kelly: Does this boardwalk design make sense for bicycles? Folger: It should, Walk & Wheelways felt it would – not for 10 speeds, but ok for mountain bikes. There will be limited use as a bike trail due to topography involved.
Kelly: A good portion of pedestrian trail is being sacrificed to accommodate potential bike traffic. Folger: It is providing a starting point within that area, so that in the future, possibly more trail could be added with the use of boy scouts or volunteers.
Kelly: There have been bike accidents on the elevated boardwalk at Donnelly requiring ambulance/rescue personnel using ATVs to extricate the injured.
Brower: A boardwalk constructed of lumber is ok, but once vinyl decking gets wet, it’s almost like ice.
Kelly observed that bikes approaching people already on the boardwalk could be a problem.
Folger stated that the boardwalk in Donnelly was never meant nor constructed to be used by bicycles. The boardwalk in this case will be constructed of pressure treated lumber with 1.5” cross boards.
Warren suggested signs posted to stipulate Pedestrians Have the Right of Way, for example.
Folger stated that the Walk and Wheelways Committee could draft some open space rules for multi-use.
Folger explained that the proposed boardwalk will provide educational benefits regarding wetlands as it will provide access to the wetland portions of the Podunk River in this area.
Muller: will non-boardwalk area be grass natural? Folger: yes, grass natural, at this point.
Motion to: close the public hearing at 7:14 pm, on Appl. #10-51P, Land Resource Consultants Inc – 1559 Sullivan Ave. – IWA/CC application for the construction of an office building grading, parking, stormwater utilities, and associated improvements on property located north of Ellington Road, and west of Sullivan Avenue. Restricted Commercial Zone (RC).
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Blondin
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
Motion to: move a finding that the plan as presented demonstrates the most prudent and feasible alternative by changing the building layout from a one to a two storey structure, and by installing biofilters as components of the stormwater system.
Was made by: Commissioner Blondin
Seconded by: Commissioner Brower
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
Motion to: to approve, Appl. #10-51P, Land Resource Consultants Inc – 1559 Sullivan Ave. – IWA/CC application for the construction of an office building grading, parking, stormwater utilities, and associated improvements on property located north of Ellington Road, and west of Sullivan Avenue. Restricted Commercial Zone (RC), with the following conditions:
1. The final approved copy of the entire set of plans and this letter reproduced thereon must be submitted to the Planning Department. 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 January 19, 2016. 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. A bond shall be collected in the amount of $5,000 to ensure proper placement and maintenance of erosion and sediment controls, and $5,000 for installation of storm water systems, and $25,000 for construction of wetlands mitigation.
5. All approvals required must be obtained and submitted prior to any activity on the site.
6. A contact person shall be identified on the plans.
7. Construction of the trail as per the plans to be completed within one year of issuance of building permit for the medical office building.
8. Additional perimeter erosion controls recommended are: hay bales to protect land owner to the north and south; additional catch basin protection on existing catch basins in the commercial parking lot; and installation of a berm at junction of the existing parking lot and proposed entrance drive.
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Delnicki
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
Appl. #10-52P, FedEx Ground Distribution Center – Sullivan Ave. – Continuation of Public Hearing, IWA/CC application for the construction of a Fed Ex distribution center, parking, stormwater structures, and associated improvements. The site is located northerly of Sullivan Avenue and easterly of Kennedy Road. Industrial (I) zone.
Jay Ussery from JR Russo, represented the applicant. Mr. Ussery stated that per recommendation of the Commissioners at the 1/5/2011 meeting, the location of the fence around detention basin #1 was moved to the interior side, and that stand pipes have been installed at wetland #2 to monitor ground water. The Town Engineer has no issues with the revised plans as submitted. A minor change not reflected in these plans was made after a meeting with the fire chief on 1/18/2011. Per the chief’s recommendation the driveway was widened from 16ft to 20 ft to accommodate the ladder truck.
Tim Coon from JR Russo, explained that the fence, with a gate, is now on the interior of detention basin #1 giving the basin more connectivity with wetland #2. On 1/19/2011 the stand pipes installed in the mitigation area at wetland #2 had water within 15 in of the ground surface and the plans have been modified to note that the final depth of the mitigation area will be determined based on the monitoring in consultation with town staff. In regard to the stormwater management basins being a mitigation or necessary to the stormwater system, basins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are not just for conveyance of stormwater. These basins are necessary for detention as well as conveyance. These basins could all be dry basins, do not have to be wet, do not need any permanent pool, do not need aquatic benches for the pools. Therefore,
the area of the permanent pool and aquatic benches is mitigation because they are not necessary for the stormwater system. Coon explained about the volume above the outlet when there is a storm event; water is able to accumulate above that and that is where the detention is provided. The permanent pool below that, which is the wet pond part, and the aquatic benches, which is wet all the time, that is strictly mitigation. The area is the same for mitigation, volume above the permanent pool is not considered mitigation. The volume below the water surface is what they consider mitigation.
Kelly: The volume below the outlet is considered another level of stormwater treatment – she considers it different than the wetlands mitigation, which could be considered the shallow benches and the plantings. They are all types of stormwater treatment.
Folger: This is close to the top of a fairly decent watershed and the detention is provided not only in one large basin at the bottom of the project, but is spread out around the perimeter and broken up into different small watersheds that go to that basin. There is more opportunity for evaporation, for water polishing – it is going through different systems as it makes its way down ultimately to the outlet point. The water table is shallow. This is probably the best way to provide stormwater management in an open system – spreading it out into smaller areas. Rain gardens could be added, but the proposed basin are essentially rain gardens in the way they are acting – the smaller pools that are connected to the whole. Planting these areas does provide water quality renovation to a point. The water quality volume is accomplished by the larger basin at the bottom and we are probably getting more areas of open saturated habitat capable of supporting wetland vegetation, and for
anything but the outer basin, will be available to insects, birds, amphibians – providing a margin of habitat as well as. The mitigation shown, enhancing the vernal pool to the north and providing the restoration to the wet meadow actually equals what is being disturbing. A+ on plan – overall, whole system is going to have a net benefit to the ecology. One of the goals looked at on these projects is: how is there a net benefit achieved.
Kelly: Given the overall site, they have placed this phase of their development on the farthest west part. Have indicated that this site was chosen because it has potential for future expansion. We have to look at proposed and future activity associated with or reasonably related to this regulated activity. I think we can expect some future activity on this site, but on the remaining land there are some significant areas that are non-wetlands. They have developed a pattern of addressing and working around the wetlands with this piece of the site.
Motion to: move a finding that the most prudent and feasible alternative is the placement of the whole development toward the western portion of the site, and providing stormwater treatment via several wet basins in series.
Was made by: Commissioner Blondin
Seconded by: Commissioner Muller
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
Motion to: close the public hearing at 7:34 pm on Appl. #10-52P, FedEx Ground Distribution Center – Sullivan Ave. – IWA/CC application for the construction of a Fed Ex distribution center, parking, stormwater structures, and associated improvements. The site is located northerly of Sullivan Avenue and easterly of Kennedy Road. Industrial (I) zone.
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Kelly
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
Motion to: to approve, Appl. #10-52P, FedEx Ground Distribution Center – Sullivan Ave. – IWA/CC application for the construction of a Fed Ex distribution center, parking, stormwater structures, and associated improvements. The site is located northerly of Sullivan Avenue and easterly of Kennedy Road. Industrial (I) zone, with the following conditions:
1. The final approved copy of the entire set of plans and this letter reproduced thereon must be submitted to the Planning Department. 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 January 19, 2016. 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. A bond shall be collected in the amount of $25,000 for wetland mitigation, and $20,000 to ensure proper placement and maintenance of erosion and sediment controls, and $25,000 for installation of storm water systems.
5. All approvals required must be obtained and submitted prior to any activity on the site.
6. A contact person shall be identified on the plans.
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Blondin
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
ITEM: OLD BUSINESS: none
ITEM: OTHER BUSINESS: Holiday Party will be held at Sawadee Thai Cuisine on January 26, 2011 beginning at 6:00 pm. Reminder to be sent Friday for attendance confirmation.
ITEM: ADJOURNMENT
Motion to: adjourn the meeting at 7:42 pm
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Delnicki
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Thompson
Recording Secretary
Approved: March 16, 2011
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