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Conservation Meeting Minutes 12/16/2010


Conservation Commission
  Meeting
Sharon Community Center
     December 16, 2010

Peg Arguimbau Chairman, Keevin Geller, Meredith deCarbonnel, Elizabeth McGrath, Stephen Cremer, and Hank Langstroth were the members present. The Conservation Administrator, Greg Meister, was also present.

7:45 p.m., Updates:

- Correspondence from the Town Engineer’s Office, Sharon DPW:
The Conservation Chairman and the Conservation Administrator signed a letter to the Columbia Gas Company on behalf of the Commission. The letter explains that the Commission approves the Department of Public Works request to utilize the Columbia Gas Company’s property at 24 Canton Street as a snow and temporary construction debris storage site, provided that the storage area is located outside of the 100’ Wetland Buffer Zone from the edge of Saw Mill Pond.
The attending Commission members asked the Conservation Administrator to monitor the storage site periodically and report back to the Commission regarding any erosion control concerns.    
-Update of the Cedar Swamp Restoration Project:
The Conservation Administrator explained to the Commission that he attended a meeting today with the team of consultants on the Cedar Swamp Restoration Project that included Peter Fletcher, Soil Scientist; Pamela Polloni, Botanist; Franz Ingelfinger, Restoration Ecologist from the Division of Ecological Restoration (DER); and Neal Price, hydrogeologist from the Horsely Witten Group, Inc. The team reviewed data collected from the town’s groundwater monitoring wells, including monitoring well location, hydrologic connections, and stormwater outfalls. A site visit of the Cedar Swamp followed their meeting to review the critical locations within the Cedar Swamp and the drainage ditch area.
The Department of Ecological Restoration is organizing and reviewing data and will process the data point survey.
- Update Concerning the Bella Estates Work List:
The Conservation Administrator explained to the Commission that he recently met with Attorney Bob Shelmerdine concerning the following updated Work List for Bella Estates:
-The proposed work starting 12/20/10:
  • To modify the level spreader and to extend the lower basin to be completed by 12/29/10.
  • The erosion control work on the site will be on-going concerning the stone apron work along the roadway and the filter fabric on the outlet control structure. The catch basins to be cleaned as needed.
-The proposed work starting 1/3/11:
  • The proposed installation and connection of 12” diameter solid drain Lines to the catch basin at the bottom of the wall to be completed by 1/12/11.
-The proposed work starting 1/17/11:
  • The proposed installation of the finger drains to be completed by 2/18/11.
-The proposed work starting 2/21/11:
  • The proposed installation of  6” diameter perforated drain lines at the toe of the slope to be
      completed by 3/1/11.
-The proposed work starting 3/1/11:
  • The proposed installation of the concrete posts for the retaining wall to be completed by 3/15/11.
-On-going work:
  • The proposed removal of the earthen pile is on-going.




Page 2 SCC 12/16/10 Meeting Minutes
- Sharon Commons Update:
The Conservation Administrator explained to the Commission that Attorney Bob Shelmerdine discussed a preliminary concept plan for the proposed Sharon Commons project. The Conservation Administrator explained that, according to Attorney Shelmerdine, it is almost impossible to accommodate anything beneath the proposed parking lot area of the site due to the proposed utilities and underground drainage and infiltration system. Attorney Shelmerdine indicated that he proposes to meet with the Commission to present a proposed concept plan following his upcoming meeting with the Planning Board. The proposed preliminary concept plan outlines a proposal to expand a portion of the site to create an adjacent wetland area for controlling and treating the stormwater flow, instead of an underground infiltration system beneath the proposed parking lot area. The developer is also considering eliminating portions of proposed the retaining wall. The Conservation Adminstrator explained to Bob Shelmerdine that the Commission would not be interested in expanding the initial approved limit of work area or approve additional clear cutting concerning the proposed project. He indicated to Attorney Shelmerdine that the Commission may only be willing to compromise concerning the alteration of the existing topography and sloped area of the site as long as the mitigation is sufficient and if the already disturbed areas are replanted.
The Conservation Administrator is planning to meet again next week with Attorney Shelmerdine to discuss the feedback concerning the preliminary concept plan.

8:00 p.m., Approve Past Meeting Minutes:

Peg called for a motion to approve the October 21, 2010 Meeting Minutes as amended.
Elizabeth McGrath moved. Stephen Cremer seconded. Voted. Unanimous. 6-0-0.

Peg called for a motion to approve the November 18, 2010 Meeting Minutes as presented.
Keevin Geller moved. Elizabeth McGrath seconded. Voted. Unanimous. 6-0-0.
8:15 p.m., Old/New Business:

-Correspondence from DEP to Thomas Altieri concerning the discrepancies in a revised wetland delineation plan initially brought to the attention of DEP by the Conservation Administrator concerning Lot 106 Eisenhower Drive:
The Conservation Administrator presented the Commission with a copy of a letter from the DEP dated 11/29/10, for DEP File # SE-280-0508, concerning a request for revisions at Lot 106, Eisenhower Drive. The letter states that on August 30, 2010, the DEP received a revised plan dated 2/9/10 showing a revised wetland line under DEP File #SE-280-0508.
At the DEP’s on-site meeting of 12/16/09, the parties agreed that, because of the previous disturbance of the area, the Applicant was requested to submit a revised plan showing the BVW boundary established in the 10/3/03 Order of Resource Area Delineation under DEP File # SE-280-434, as shown on a proposed plan entitled “Plan of Wetlands, 106 Eisenhower Drive, Sharon, MA,” dated 6/16/03 from a previous Applicant’s filing with the Commission. The February 9, 2010 revised plan does not accurately show this line. Furthermore, the DEP had requested, at the time of the on-site meeting, that the proposed replication area would be extended to the June 2003 BVW line and that a narrative of the restoration activity be provided. The February 9, 2010 revised plan no longer includes any proposed replication area and no narrative has been submitted.  
The letter from DEP advises the Applicant that this activity is a restoration of the BVW resource area which was altered without an Order of Conditions in violation of the Wetlands Protection Act, and it should be labeled as such on any subsequent plans. The DEP requested the Applicant to submit revised plans, prepared and stamped by a Massachusetts Professional Engineer, and a narrative of the restoration activity, prepared by a qualified Wetlands Scientist, in accordance with DEP’s Massachusetts Inland Wetland Replication Guidelines, dated March 2002. DEP requested that the Applicant inform DEP in writing, within fourteen days, of 11/29/10, as to whether the requested plan/information would be submitted.


Page 3 SCC 12/16/10 Meeting Minutes

8:25 p.m., Signatures:

The Commission signed bills. The Commission signed a deed from the Vickery Corporation concerning a 1 ± acre parcel of land adjacent to the Cranberry Bogs at Sharon Commons.  

8:35 p.m., Adjournment:

Peg called for a motion to adjourn.
Hank Langstroth moved. Meredith deCarbonnel seconded. Voted. Unanimous. 6-0-0.