TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
INLAND WETLANDS/CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes - 1 - June 1, 2011
MEMBERS PRESENT: Elizabeth Warren, Barbara Kelly, John Blondin, Jack Phillips, Art Jennings, Carol Heffler, Audrey Delnicki, Hugh Brower
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Adam Reed, sitting for Tim Appleton
Richard Muller
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: Folger: Annual Report information has been submitted to Town Manager’s Office
ITEM: BONDS: none
ITEM: MINUTES: Minutes from 5/18/2011 were distributed at this meeting and will be voted on at the next meeting.
ITEM: CONSERVATION COMMISSION: Trails Day will be held at Donnelly on Sunday, June 5, 1-4 pm. There will be a geocaching workshop and information from the National Wildlife Federation present by resident Wayne McKinney. There seems to be a lot of public interest. One of the scouts replaced 140 ft of boardwalk 2 weeks ago on either side of the floating bridge. Folger expects to finish replacing the remaining 100 ft of boardwalk on Thursday. There was discussion about continued maintenance of open space going forward. It needs to be established as to who will be responsible for the maintenance and where funding will come from to pay for the maintenance.
ITEM: WETLAND OFFICER’S REPORT: not much going on at this time
ITEM: PUBLIC HEARING: none
ITEM: NEW BUSINESS:
Appl. #11-09P – Satellite Tool Co.– 185 Commerce Way – IWA/CC application for the construction of a building addition and associated improvements on property located north of Commerce Way. Industrial (I) Zone.
Chris Eseppi, PDS Engineering, presented the application for a 3400 sq ft addition to the existing industrial building on the property. It is at the end of the line of the design drainage system originally constructed for Commerce Way. The back of the property drops off steeply to a drainage and wetlands area which is very susceptible to erosion. A detention basin was required at the time of construction of the building, since that time, the detention basin has grown in and there is a lot of deterioration and erosion where the exit drainage is located. There are no wetlands on the site. They have identified the wetlands offsite by vegetation, thus establishing the regulated area. There is a real concern for the banked area. Any disturbance will remain in the current graded area. As part of the application the detention basin will be cleaned out and reestablished – it is working. They will remove the 12” rcp discharge pipe, rebuild the area, stabilize the bank with a
gabion basket (provided a picture to Commissioners). They proposed using this galvanized basket with stone due to the difficulty of getting down to the area especially with a lot of equipment. A haybale check dam will be in place while working to stabilize the bank and end of the headwall discharge pipe. The property is graded off in the back and some of the trees in this area will have to be removed. Any of this area that is disturbed will be stabilized with stabilization fabric and most of the construction will be done from the inside as much as possible. As part of the application the detention basin will be getting a facelift.
Folger: He has talked to Eseppi about a more detailed plan on the stabilization of the outfall. The most critical thing at this point is the stabilization of the detention basin outfall as far as repair is concerned. They also discussed accessing the future building pad from either the west or the east and minimizing any kind of equipment at all on the north side – at the top of the slope. He would like to see a more detailed construction plan in regard to the reconstruction of the outfall. Eseppi: You have not yet seen the new plan; will be happy to work with staff.
Kelly: How much will the total runoff increase? Eseppi: It will not increase. Kelly: Not just the peak, but there won’t be any more runoff at all? Eseppi: There will be with the new roof system, but at this point it’s all compacted gravel. There will be a slight increase. Kelly: There will be an increase in impervious? Eseppi: A slight increase. Kelly: How much is that increase? Eseppi: Doesn’t have that information.
Brower: Will there be additional fill put near the slope? Eseppi: No, it will be kept away from the slope. Brower: At the closest point what will be the distance between the new edge of the building and the slope? Eseppi: Approximately 5 or 6 ft. Brower: Are you concerned about erosion due to storms that might impact the structure of the building? Eseppi: That is why we have the stabilization fabric. Folger: Also, the roof leaders are going to the detention basin. There shouldn’t be anything discharged onto the ground. Usually roof leaders should discharge onto the ground, but in this case that could cause a problem. Brower: As part of the detection basin cleanup will there be removal of vegetation from the whole area? Eseppi: Around in that detention basin, yes.
Blondin: Is there going to be any more parking lot added to this property? Eseppi: There are 2 future spots on the plan that are not being built at this time.
Kelly: Asked that Eseppi go over the part of the stabilization plan that the Commissioners haven’t seen. Eseppi: This is the standard detail for the plunge pool, but we are showing that the pipe will actually be stabilized with the gabion basket. The gabion basket will be put in first as a stabilization and then the plunge pool built within that. So that it will be all rip rap inside. Last time the plunge pool got washed out. So, what’s ever there will be moved aside, we’ll put a stabilization fabric underneath, build the gabion basket (basically a support dam) and fill it with a foot of processed gravel, and then with the rip rap will form the plunge pool, so that we’ll keep the velocities as well as we can coming out of there. Kelly: What about the somewhat extra
volume going down that slope? Eseppi: The control structure is still there. Kelly: So, it will be metering out of there the same just for a longer period of time. Eseppi: Correct. Folger: It’s got a 6” orifice on the detention basin itself, so it’s a fairly small discharge. We just need to slow the velocities down when they exit the basin. Kelly: It’s cutting anyway. Folger: If you look within 20 ft from where the old rip rap was the cutting pretty much stops. There is still a rivulet that goes down there but there is no vertical head cutting occurring there. It’s also head cutting toward the basin which would could lead to a failure of the basin during a heavy storm and cause a washout. The greater concern at this point is stabilizing it and stopping the process that is eating into the top of the slope, not the bottom. Folger and the Town Engineer
will be meeting with Eseppi on the site to discuss what is going to be needed and to develop a detailed plan that the Town Engineering would sign off on.
Blondin: Will the existing detention pond be reworked. Folger/Eseppi: Dredged out and seeded down to increase the capacity of it. Eseppi: It is functioning.
Muller: Did the failure of the plunge pool occur fairly rapidly, was it a poor design. Folger: Based on the size of the orifice, there is only a certain amount of water that can escape at any given time. So, I’d say it was something that occurred over time, that it undermined underneath and then worked its way through and around the rip rap instead of hitting the rip rap, losing energy and slowly filtering through. Fabric and a bed of gravel underneath should prevent the undercutting of the rip rap and providing a pool for it to slow down and trickle through so when it escapes it is only a couple feet per second for velocity. The steepness of the slope is a factor.
Brower: Due to evidence of past dumping of pallets, brush and cut trees on the slope in a regulating area, he would like a condition that the applicant would commit to not allowing this type of activity in the future, and that type of debris would have to be disposed of properly off site.
Motion to: to approve Appl. #11-09P – Satellite Tool Co.– 185 Commerce Way – IWA/CC application for the construction of a building addition and associated improvements on property located north of Commerce Way. 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 June 1, 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. Bonds shall be collected in the amount of: $10,000 for stabilization, $5,000 to ensure proper placement and maintenance of erosion and sediment controls.
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. Clean up of property, with commitment to dispose of future debris in the proper manner, and continued monitoring of area to prevent any further occurrence of improper dumping.
8. Town Engineer to sign off on approved stabilization plan.
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Phillips.
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous
ITEM: APPLICATIONS RECEIVED: none
ITEM: ADJOURNMENT:
Motion to: adjourn the meeting at 7:21 pm
Was made by: Commissioner Heffler
Seconded by: Commissioner Phillips
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Thompson
Recording Secretary
Approved: July 6, 2011
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