Stow Conservation Commission
Minutes
May 14, 2013
A meeting of the Stow Conservation Commission was held at the Stow Town Building, 380 Great Road, Stow, Massachusetts, on May 14, 2013 at 7:30 in the evening.
There were present: Ingeborg Hegemann Clark, Chair
David Coppes, Vice-Chair
Cortni Frecha
Serena Furman
Doug Moffat
Jeff Saunders
Absent: Doug Morse
Associate: Andy Snow
comprising a quorum of the Commission; also
Present: Maureen Trunfio, SCC Secretary
Absent: Pat Perry, SCC Coordinator
The Conservation Commission meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM.
Approve Minutes
Cortni Frecha made a motion to approve the minutes of April 30, 2013 as drafted and amended. Doug Moffat seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.
Site Inspection Assignment
Doug Moffat will schedule and conduct a site inspection for a recently filed Notice of Intent for a septic replacement at 32 Pine Point Road.
Site Plan for Proposed Upgrades to First Parish Church Grounds
The Commission reviewed the application for Site Plan Approval submitted to the Planning Board for proposed upgrades to the First Parish Church. They intend to extend parking area and connect the church with the recreation building. They would also like to provide ADA-compliant accessibility to the entire facility. The Commission provided the following comment to the Planning Board: proposed activities appear to be greater than 100 feet from the pond on adjacent property so is not subject to review under the MA Wetlands Protection Act. However, work may be proposed within 200 feet and will therefore be subject to review under the Stow Wetlands Bylaw. It is recommended that a Request for Determination of applicability be filed documenting storm water management in relationship to the pond.
Notice of Intent Continuation (#299-0555)
Lot 1 West Acton Road (R-17 #3)
At 7:45 PM Ingeborg Hegemann Clark reopened the public hearing continued from April 30, 2013 for a Notice of Intent (NOI) filed by Stow Community Housing Corp. for the proposed multi-unit apartment project with five primary buildings, sewage disposal and public water supply systems.
Greg Roy of Ducharme & Dillis, along with Greg Jones, Steve Dungan, and Peter Munkenbeck, were present at this meeting as representatives of the Stow Community Housing Corp.
Roy presented to the Commission and addressed issues, point-by-point, outlined in Town Engineer, Sue Carter’s report to Ducharme & Dillis dated May 13, 2013. This document is available for review in the office of the Conservation Commission.
The Stow Community Housing Corp. impressed upon the Commission the importance of moving the approval process along due to a scheduled June 28, 2013 closing date. The Commission said they understood and would make every effort expedite the process. However, they explained that they could not guarantee that the Order would be issued on June 4, if questions were outstanding by either themselves or Sue Carter. The Commission stressed the importance of Roy communicating directly with Sue Carter on issues that they did not agree on and that they would rely heavily on Sue Carter’s review. The Commission will expect revised plans from Roy by Friday, May 17, 2013. Dave Coppes will prepare a preliminary draft of the Orders of Conditions to be discussed at the Commission’s June 4, 2013 meeting.
Roy and representatives from the Stow Community Housing Corp. agreed to continue the meeting to June 4, 2013.
Cortni Frecha made a motion to continue the public hearing for Notice of Intent File No.299-0555 filed by Stow Community Housing Corp. for the proposed multi-unit apartment project with five primary buildings, sewage disposal and public water supply systems to June 4, 2013. Dave Coppes seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.
Conservation Restriction
Taylor Road Subdivision
The Commission agreed to vote to approve the Conservation Restriction for property associated with the Taylor Road PCD subdivision. The restriction would be held with Habitech, Inc. and the open spaced would be owned by the homeowners.
David Coppes made a motion to accept the Conservation Restriction for the Taylor Road subdivision as drafted. Cortni Frecha seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.
Riverfront Area Case Study
Ingeborg Hegemann Clark informed the Commission that she and Pat Perry met with John Ricketson of Provectus Business Development Services at his request to discuss alternative options for a solar energy project at the airfield and whether or not they would be able to go forward with a new submission. Hegemann Clark said that she would look into the other Riverfront provisions and she did and found a case study published in a MACC newsletter and forwarded to Ricketson. The case study referred to a solar project proposed within a cranberry bog. DEP allowed a local Order for a proposal to install solar panels on posts within a farmed cranberry bog, which meets the definition of a BVW. The bog is managed as a farmed monoculture and the information provided to the DEP indicates that it will continue to be a farmed
monoculture in the future. Ricketson wrote back to Clark stating that he looked at the Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and that section was to be grubbed and leveled not unlike a cranberry bog and his consultant would also be talking with DEP. Clark asked the Commission how they would feel about an application based on the VMP for that area.
The Commission will still maintain that the area is undisturbed Riverfront Area and has concerns that if the Commission issues an Order to allow an array is there any way the Commission can maintain that the area is undisturbed Riverfront so that it is not paved at a later date.
497 Great Road
Melone Tree Cutting
Ingeborg Hegemann Clark will inform Melone that he must file an after-the-fact Notice of Intent and inform National Heritage Endangered Species Protection (NHESP) of the filing
with regard to potential box turtles on the property.
Hire of Conservation Administrator’s Replacement
The subcommittee in search of a replacement for the present Administrator, consisting of Pat Perry, Karen Kelleher, Ingeborg Hegemann Clark, Dave Coppes, Cortni Frecha and Andy Snow, will meet at 5 pm on May 28, 2013 in order to review the resumes that were received.
Adjournment
Dave Coppes made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:40 PM. Cortni Frecha seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.
The Commission adjourned at 9:40 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Maureen Trunfio
Stow Conservation Commission Secretary
| 
