Members Present:
Dave Schreiber – Chairman
Tess Gutowski
Mark Drobney
Patrick Lord
Members Absent:
Evan Brand - excused
Greg Blessing – Alternate - excused
Also Present:
Susan Yorgensen
Attorney Caleb Hamel
D. Schreiber called the meeting to order at 7:30.
Violation/Order for 8 Burt Latham Road
The Violation/Order was tabled to the next meeting.
Old Business
W2015-34 Application for a single family dwelling located in upland review area and driveway filling displacing wetland soils Lot # 20 Meadow Lane (Map 16 Lot 41 Zone R80) Owner/Applicant: Willford Farms, LLC (Received September 21, 2015 Public Hearing or decision by November 23, 2015) Site walk Oct 3, 2015
Ed Pelletier of Datum Engineering was present for the applicant. He submitted a letter from Attorney Sam Schrager for the record. He said the proposed driveway was widened from 12 feet to 15 feet and previous requests from IWWC have been added to the plans. A discussion was held on the plans and an easement. S. Yorgensen suggested the applicant request a formal easement from the town.
P. Lord asked about Best Management Practices and Mr. Pelletier said he did have silt fencing on the previous plans and would add it to the plans currently submitted. A discussion was held on pumping out the catch basin. T. Gutowski asked if the current plans satisfy the town engineer’s recommendations and S. Yorgensen said yes.
T. Gutowski motioned to approve W2015-34, revised plans dated 11/17/15, with the following conditions:
- Plans modified to include silt fencing in the upper area by wetland flags 9 and 10.
- Modification of the easement with attorney review and approval.
M. Drobney seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
W2015-28 Application to construct driveway within the upland review area and cut brush within wetland at the north side of Boston Turnpike west of property at 59 Boston Turnpike (Map 6 Lot 5 Zone R80) Owner/Applicant: Gloria Coles (Received September 21, 2015 Public Hearing or decision by November 23, 2015) site walk
Gloria Coles was present. T. Gutowski said they conducted a site walk and was fine with the driveway but had concerns on the area to the right of the plans. D. Schreiber said the driveway is where is should be.
S. Yorgensen said there are 2 parts to this application; the driveway portion and the agricultural exemption.
T. Gutowski motioned to approve the driveway crossing only of application W2015-28. M. Drobney seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
Discussion was held on the agricultural exemption. T. Gutowski asked Ms. Coles to delineate the area of agricultural activity in which she did on the plans. Discussion was held on the area of Autumn Olive to be removed. Ms. Coles said it is not in the wetland area, only in the dry area. S. Yorgensen said 2 portions of the area are historic hay fields and the agricultural exemption is to cut the invasive species in the upland review area.
T. Gutowski motioned to grant the agricultural exemption. The maps were annotated 11/23/15 by Gloria Coles identifying the 2 hayfields and invasive species to be removed and show the limits in the eastern field delineating the ditch. T. Gutowski approved the ability to ride horses throughout the property. M. Drobney seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
W2015-27 Amended application for select pruning and removal of canopies/tree 500’ from both direction of signage to increase visibility, also clearing of trees & brush in proposed landscape area and planting of landscape area West of 327 Ruby Road east side 1-84 in state right-of-way (Map 42 Lot 45 & 46 Lot 26 state right-of-way along property) Owners: George Giguere (Travel Plaza) State of Connecticut D.O.T. (Highway R.O.W) Applicant: Eric’s Tree Service LLC (Received September 21, 2015) Site walk Oct 3, 2015
Barry Clark of Gardner & Peterson was present for the applicant and presented plans. He said they addressed the concerns of the IWWC and added silt socks. He said the harvest will provide more of the view of the pylon sign; they want to make the Travel Plaza more visible. Mr. Clark said they are going to try to keep as much Mountain Laurel as possible and will fill in as needed with plantings depicted on the map.
A discussion was held on the bond. S. Yorgensen suggested they ask the applicants engineer for an estimate and have it reviewed by IWWC’s engineer. P. Lord and T. Gutowski said they are concerned about the steep slope and stabilization. S. Yorgensen said the bond could be for sedimentation and erosion control, the plantings and maintenance (long term viability of the plantings). Atty. Hamel suggested the commission assume all the Mountain Laurel will be taken out and request a bond to replace it all. P. Lord suggested part of the bond to be placed for 80% survival rate after 2 years. Per the commission’s request, Atty. Hamel left the table to draft a motion and the application was tabled to later in the meeting.
New Business
W2015-48 Application for Extension of Approved Wetland Permit (W2011-32) Map9 Lot 33 Zone R80) Owner/Applicant: Michael C Nogas (Received November 23, 2015 Public Hearing or decision by December 7, 2015)
Michael Nogas was present. The commission agreed a public hearing was not needed. S. Yorgensen said the extension request is for a permit issued July 2011 with standard conditions.
T. Gutowski motioned to approve the extension. M. Drobney seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
Old Business
W2015-41 Application for Timber Harvest at 110 Potter School Road (Map 55 Lots 01, 02, & 03 Zone R80) Owner: Elaine L. Lunt Applicant: Anthony J. Grossi (Received October 26, 2015 Public Hearing or decision by December 7, 2015) site walk
D. Schreiber and T. Gutowski walked the site and did not see any problems.
T. Gutowski motioned to approve W2015-41. M. Drobney seconded the motion all in favor. Motion carried.
W2015-44 Application for Timber Harvest at 74 Willington Hill Road (Map18 Lot 37 Zone R80) Owner: Charles & Margery Thompson Applicant: Chris Casadei c/o Hull Forest Products (Received October 26, 2015 Public Hearing or decision by December 7, 2015) site walk
D. Schreiber and T. Gutowski walked the site and said it was a previous cut.
T. Gutowski motioned to approve W2015-44. P. Lord seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
New Business
W2015-45 Application for Agricultural Exemption at 8 Burt Latham Road (Map 9 Lot 23 Zone R80) Owner/Applicant: Kim E Ridzon (Received November 23, 2015 Public Hearing or decision by December 7, 2015)
The applicant was not present. The application fee has not been paid. Commission inquired if the applicant had contacted the office as requested. S. Yorgensen said she had not heard from Ms. Ridzon. Attorney Hamel commented that the application is incomplete and was tabled to the next meeting with a decision by December 7, 2015.
W2015-27 Amended application for select pruning and removal of canopies/tree 500’ from both direction of signage to increase visibility, also clearing of trees & brush in proposed landscape area and planting of landscape area West of 327 Ruby Road east side 1-84 in state right-of-way (Map 42 Lot 45 & 46 Lot 26 state right-of-way along property) Owners: George Giguere (Travel Plaza) State of Connecticut D.O.T. (Highway R.O.W) Applicant: Eric’s Tree Service LLC (Received September 21, 2015) Site walk Oct 3, 2015
Atty. Hamel read the proposed motion and a discussion was held. P. Lord said he would like to see the plantings done with what is currently there. A discussion was held on the survival of the plantings and the time frame.
P. Lord motioned to approve W2015-27, as amended by Atty. Hamel, with the following conditions:
- Any and all trees shall be removed “from the top down,” and shall not be dropped.
- The Applicant shall submit to the Commission a bond to ensure the installation and maintenance of the depicted erosion & sedimentation controls and plantings, such plantings being an integral part of the stabilization of the site. The amount of the bond shall be subject to the review and approval of the Land Use Engineer and the Commission’s staff and consultants, and shall assume that the entire cleared area (excluding the grass swale)within the state right-of-way will be replanted with mountain laurel. The amount of the bond shall also include a sum sufficient to ensure that 85% of the mountain laurel plantings survive for 3 years after initial planting; any plantings that do not survive to this time shall be replanted at the applicant’s expense. The form of the
bond shall be subject to the review and approval of the Land Use Attorney; surety bonds shall not be accepted.
- Permit shall include standard permit conditions as well.
T. Gutowski seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
Correspondence
- Letter from the Board of Selectmen re-appointing Dave Schreiber and Tess Gutowski to IWWC.
Minutes
T. Gutowski motioned to approve the minutes of October 26, 2015. P. Lord seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 9:35.
Respectfully Submitted,
Michele Manas
Recording Clerk
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