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Conservation Meeting Minutes 11/01/12

 Conservation Commission
  Meeting
Sharon Community Center
         November 1, 2012

Hank Langstroth Acting Chairman, Keevin Geller, Stephen Cremer, and Linda Orel were the members present. Commission Members, Christine Turnbull and Elizabeth McGrath were absent from the meeting. The Commission Chairman Peg Arguimbau, arrived at 8:25 p.m.
The Conservation Administrator, Greg Meister, was also present.

Hank Langstroth Acting Chairman Officiated the Meeting at This Time
7:30 p.m. Chris Rodstrom, Deputy Director for Land and Community Conservation, from The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR), met with the Commission to discuss proposed Conservation Restrictions on two properties on Moose Hill Street:  
Chris Rodstrom appeared before the Commission and submitted new proposed Conservation Restrictions and Municipal Certifications concerning Moose Hill Street properties for approximately 11 ½ acres of land abutting The Trustees of Reservations’ Moose Hill Farm property and the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Moose Hill Sanctuary property. He explained to the Commission that the new proposed Conservation Restrictions replace the Conservation Restrictions that TTOR previously presented to the Commission last November. At that time, the Commission voted to recommend the Conservation Restrictions to the Board of Selectmen for their approval but the documents were never recorded.
Since that time, the new proposed Conservation Restrictions have changed as follows:
  • The new proposed Conservation Restrictions include the furtherance of state wide conservation interests because there is core habitat designated by the state BioMap and also some prime soils.
(The properties are not only of local and regional importance but state wide designation.)
  • The previously proposed Conservation Restriction stated that the shed located behind the house at 361 Moose Hill Street would be donated to Mass Audubon and that TTOR would hold the Conservation Restriction on it. However, the shed was destroyed during a recent storm event and  has been removed from the site. Subsequently, the description of the property has changed on the new proposed Conservation Restriction.
All the other purposes and provisions have essentially remained unchanged from the previous proposed Conservation Restrictions. The Kendall family intends to complete the gift of the Conservation Restrictions by the end of this calendar year and then donate the restricted fee to the other organizations.
The Kendall family has divided the proposed Conservation Restriction comprised of approximately
11 ½ acres of land as follows:
  • Proposed Conservation Restriction comprised of 6.70 acres donated to the Mass Audubon Society.
  •  Proposed Conservation Restriction comprised of 4.6 acres donated to TTOR.
         (The purposes of the two proposed Conservation Restrictions are identical.)
The Kendall family has divided the proposed Conservation Restrictions so that when they subsequently donate the underlying fee to the other organizations they would have two layers of protection:
Chris Rodstrom expressed his appreciation on behalf of TTOR for this generous gift as it protects critical property in the middle of 2,300 acres of land protected by both groups and town owned land. He mentioned that he also administers the Conservation Restriction Program for TTOR. TTOR has just passed the threshold of 20,000 acres of private land under Conservation Restriction, comprised of  367 parcels throughout approximately 79 cities and towns around the state.
Chris Rodstrom requested that the Commission vote to recommend the new versions of the proposed Conservation Restrictions to the Board of Selectmen for their approval. He also requested that the Commission sign the new versions of the proposed Conservation Restrictions and Municipal Certificates for each Conservation Restriction.
Following their review of the submitted documents, the members of the Commission agreed to comply with Chris Rodstrom’s requests.
Hank Langstroth called for a motion for the Commission to support the superseding editions of the previous certifications of the Conservation Restrictions to the Mass Audubon Society and TTOR.
Keevin Geller moved. Stephen Cremer seconded. Voted. 4-0-0. Unanimous.

Page 2 SCC 11/1/12 Meeting Minutes

8:10 p.m. Discuss proposed revised drainage plans concerning the Cranberry Bogs west of Old Post Road with Kelly Killen from Coler & Colantonio, and Fred Bottomley, Operator of the Cranberry Bogs.:

Hank Langstroth explained to the members of the Commission that this meeting has been postponed until the next scheduled Commission meeting as requested by Kelly Killen from Coler & Colantonio.

8:15 p.m. Kurt Buermann appeared before the Commission to discuss proposed trail improvements:

Kurt Buermann, President of the Sharon Friends of Conservation, appeared before the Commission on his own behalf, and presented a packet of information that included the following information:
  • An aerial photo of the Trowel Shop Pond area.
     The proposed installation of a floating walkway, approximately 1,400 feet-long (1/4 mile) connecting Trowel Shop Pond to the Massapoag Trail.
     The proposed installation of a 43 foot-long boardwalk on the Massapoag Trail to cover a difficult wet and rocky place along the trail by Cottage Street.
Peg arrived at this time and officiated the meeting
Kurt Buermann explained to the Commission that a few years ago Matt Ostrow initiated an Eagle Scout Project, along with members of his Boy Scout Troop, and created Trowel Shop Park by Trowel Shop Pond on North Main Street. Since that time, there has been an interest to connect Trowel Shop Park to the Massapoag Trail. He explained that it doesn’t seem feasible to connect to the trail from the west side of the Trowel Shop Park because the trail would need to access through nearby backyards of the homes in the area. Kurt inspected the site with the Conservation Administrator, Greg Meister, and Mike Clifford, who is a land surveyor, as well as a parent of a member of the Boy Scouts. It appears that easements were supposed to be granted to the town when two properties were developed along the shoreline of Trowel Shop Pond. At this time, it is uncertain whether the easements were ever recorded. Kurt indicated that the Conservation Administrator, Greg Meister, is currently researching that matter. Kurt explained that an easement is needed along the northeast side of Trowel Shop Pond for connecting a passable walking trail. The floating walkway could be placed in the middle or along the shoreline of the trail and would provide access to a beautiful vista in the marsh area of the Trowel Shop Pond area.
Kurt indicated that it may be possible to obtain financial support from grants and/or CPC funds to help purchase a floating walkway.
The Commission expressed some environmental concerns regarding the installation of a floating walkway as well as the following concerns:
  • Safety and maintenance concerns of a floating walkway.
  • Aesthetics of a floating walkway.
  • Whether the investment of a floating walkway would be feasible due to the unknown scope of public demand that could utilize a walking trail in this secluded area of Trowel Shop Pond.
  • Whether the present small underutilized area may not become well utilized or could not become utilized by the public due to insufficient parking.
At this time, the members of the Commission did not express an interest in supporting the installation of a floating walkway for accessing the Massapoag Trail.
Peg said that the Conservation Administrator would try to contact the landowners of 267 and 291  
North Main Street to see if they would be agreeable to grant an easement to the town that would allow public access to the spillway along Trowel Shop Pond.
-  Proposed Boardwalk along the Massapoag trail by Cottage Street:
Kurt is proposing the installation of a 43 foot-long boardwalk to cover a difficult wet and rocky place along the Massapoag Trail by Cottage Street. He indicated that $250.00 is the estimated cost for the boardwalk. Kurt inquired if the Commission would be interested in providing some funds toward the purchase of the boardwalk.
It was the consensus of the Commission to support the funding of the 43 foot-long boardwalk on the Massapoag Trail as long as sufficient funds are available in the Commission’s expense budget.   
Peg said that she would review the balance of the Commission’s current expense budget and report back to him. She requested Kurt to submit a specific quote of the total amount needed to acquire the boardwalk.

Page 3 SCC 11/1/12 Meeting Minutes

- Restoration of the original Massapoag Trail by Billings/East Streets:
Kurt Buermann reviewed a copy of map taken from an aerial photo concerning the Massapoag Trail along Billings/East Streets that showed a red outline of the route he flagged with the Conservation Administrator, Greg Meister. Kurt explained that Greg is interested in restoring the section of the original Massapoag Trail that extends beyond the guard rail along Billings Street into a wooded section of the trail.
Kurt explained that he measured the streams and the wet areas of the wooded section of the original Massapoag Trail with his GPS mapping device. He explained the scope of his proposed project as follows:
  •   The installation of a 40’ boardwalk/footboards along  the wet areas of the wooded
   section of the Massapoag Trail on the area marked #2 along the red line area of the map.
  •   The installation of 14’ footboards on the area marked #3 along the red line area of the map.
  •   The installation of a 7 -8 foot bridge 25’ from the roadway on the area marked #6 along the red  line  area of the map.
  •   The installation of 32- foot footboards/boardwalk on the area marked #7 along the red line area of  the map.
  •    The trail continues along the area marked #10 along the red line area of the map and continues
  along the edge of Dan and Peg Arguimbau’s property. It is a very scenic walkway northward   
   from  the area marked #10 along the red line area of the map.   
Kurt explained to the Commission that a member of the Boy Scouts has expressed an interest in completing the proposed project as part of an Eagle Scout project.
Peg explained that the land by the area marked #10 along the red line area of the map is property owned by her and Dan, and the land wraps up behind one of the pastures. In the 1970s, a member of the Arguimbau family donated a Conservation Restriction to the State on a section of the land that allowed for an easement. Peg said that it would be necessary for Kurt to meet with her and Dan before any work is done on their property.

9:35 p.m. Signatures:

The Commission signed the Deed for 45 Richards Ave. The Municipal Certification for the Conservation Restriction on 6.70 acres +/- donated to the Mass Audubon Society. The Municipal Certification for the Conservation Restriction on 4.6 acres +/- donated to TTOR. Negative Determination for 186 Billings St.
Certificate of Compliance for 31 Firebrick Road under DEP File # SE-280-157.

9:40 p.m. Adjournment:

Peg called for a motion to adjourn.
Hank Langstroth moved. Keevin Geller seconded. Voted. 5-0-0. Unanimous.