MINUTES OF MEETING
SHARON BOARD OF HEALTH
October 19, 2009
A meeting of the Sharon Board of Health was held on Monday October 19, 2009, at 7:30 PM at the Sharon Town Office Building. In attendance were Stanley Rosen, Chair; Andy Stead, Vice-Chair; Jay Schwab; and Ed Welch. Also present was Jim Andrews, Health Agent for Engineering.
Animal Permit Hearing - Seaman
Ed Little, Animal Inspector, was in attendance for this hearing. Duncan Seaman was present to apply to keep up to 12 chickens. Mr. Seaman has had the chickens for over a year, but wasn’t previously aware that a permit was needed. A neighbor on Meadow Road had complained. Chickens are now contained in a fenced-in area....and a 6' chainlink fence is planned within a few days. Ed Little stated that he is satisfied with the plans. David Martin, neighbor, was in support of the permit.
VOTED: (Welch/Schwab) to approve the application as submitted.
Minutes of Meeting - September 23, 2009
VOTED(Schwab, Stead)
Welch abstained; Rosen, Schwab, and Stead voted to accept the minutes of the meeting of September 23, 2009, as amended.
Discussion of proposal - 34 Crest Road Way
Elliot and Marcia Feldman were present with their proposal to renovate, which requires clarification of the number of existing bedrooms. The Board reviewed an inspection report by Rico Ferrara of A. Ferrara Construction... stating that”... there is insufficient information stating the size and dimensions of the leaching area on the permit...”. The system was never inspected or issued a certificate of compliance by the town. According to Mr. Feldman, a 4th bedroom was added in 1969. The Feldmans plan to remove a bedroom from the first floor and add a bedroom on the second floor...and wish to maintain 4 bedrooms. Stan Rosen: the only question to determine is: is this house a legal 4 bedroom home. Mr. Ferrara approved as only 3 bedrooms; Assistant Assessor described house as a three
bedroom home, with a possible 4th bedroom. Jim Andrews explained that, in 1984, per the old Title V, probably no as built was provided. The system is 25 years old....and therefore, according to Jim Andrews, borderline to suffice. He stated that there are probably 4 existing bedrooms...and was concerned that they were enlarging to 5 bedrooms. Jay Schwab stated that most systems in town are probably over 25 years old.
Andy Stead: with the information we have we don’t know if the system qualifies for 4 bedrooms. A second septic tank is in the garage...and must be abandoned....or move
outside (this accommodates one bathroom). Title 5 –conditional pass in March 2009 - pumped 3500 gallons.
Andy Stead asked that the applicants ascertain what exists now.....so the BOH can make an informed decision. He asked that the applicant get as much information as possible... basis for constructor’s judgment; perhaps someone could put an as-built together at this point. Stan Rosen asked that the applicant speak with Bill Traut, who installed the system in 1984.
Stan Rosen stated the sense of the BOH was to defer any decision pending further information: essentially an as-built; copy of the Title 5 inspection (Jim Andrews has a copy); dig into and open the galleys....see where the water is coming from; also opinion on condition. Mrs. Feldman suggested they might open up a wall downstairs and end up with just a three bedroom home, agreeing to a deed restriction for a three bedroom home.
Continued variance hearing - 25 Meadow Road
Attorney Joshua Katz, Bill Drexel, P.E., and homeowner Truong Tran were present. They plan to keep the septic system as discussed as the last meeting. Moving the house would bring it too close (10-15') to the street, according to the attorney. Andy Stead: prefers the old plan with a 5' separation to groundwater; new plan has 3' separation to groundwater...with a Presby system. Mr. Drexel stated he can attain a 4' separation with a Presby system. Mr. Drexel touted the merits of the Presby system over a conventional system. He felt the Presby system would be a good mitigation to moving back into the 125' buffer zone. The BOH agreed that the Presby system, approved by DEP, would be acceptable as an alternative system. 3 bedrooms on 2nd floor: 1st floor includes a media room; Mr. Tran agreed to
open rooms to make this a 3 bedroom home...and to agree to a deed restriction as such.
235 Billings Street - discussion
New owner, Dave Welch; Richard Merrikin, P.E. re: property at 235 Billings St. The structure has been found to be not sound and needs to be replaced. The request is to replace the structure with a 3 bedroom home - one story raised ranch. No expansion...replacement of home....new septic system planned. Will provide a plan of home. To delegate Jim to review the plans.
VOTED: (Rosen/Welch)..unanimously to authorize and direct the Health Agent for Engineering to approve the septic plans for a 3 bedroom home to be constructed on an area smaller than the existing footprint...in the same area as the existing footprint...for Jim Andrews to review the plans....and to authorize the Building Inspector to approve, vis a vis the septic system.
John Diarbakerly..discussion
Richard Merrikin, P.E., re proposal by Mr. Diarbakerly to donate some of the land - about 2 acres - adjacent to the gas station he owns on Route One.....to have a Roman Catholic Church built on that location. The church would be for Roman Catholics of Middle Eastern descent - there are currently only two other such churches in the country: in Detroit and San Diego. J ay Schwab stated that the major issues would be before Conservation Commission; will also need to go to ZBA.
It was the sense of the board members that they are not opposed to the concept of a church on this property, along with some temporary bedrooms for refugee families.
Donations:
VOTED: (Rosen/Stead) unanimously to accept $400 in donations for the purpose of defraying the cost of future flu clinics and other health promotions..and to deposit the funds into the Health Clinics donation account.
Influenza discussion
The Board discussed a memo from Linda Rosen on influenza-related activities. To date, over 1000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine have been administered...the Health Department expects to receive another 600 doses, but, like everyone else, doesn’t know when. A clinic is tentatively scheduled (for ages 7 and up) for November 12th. A seasonal Flumist clinic is to be held on October 22nd for children ages 5-18 who attend Sharon schools (notices were sent to Dr. Dunham, as well as to Islamic School and Striar Hebrew Academy). Informational program by DPH health educator Judith Chevarley is planned for November 5th. Community Center ballroom has been reserved for a couple of dates in December for possible H1N1 clinics - but there is no information on when vaccine will
be available. Linda Rosen and several of the nurses expressed concerns about the problems encountered by having a larger number of children at the evening seasonal clinic. In addition, the H1N1 vaccine requires 2 doses for children under age 10...but no callbacks or reservations of vaccine are required...or, in fact, recommended. In addition, pediatricians are ahead of the Health Dept. in line to receive vaccine. For these reasons, Linda Rosen requested that any large H1N1 clinics which might be scheduled be restricted to those in the recommended priority groups ages 10 and up. (Until 2008, the BOH restricted flu vaccine to 18 and up.)
VOTED: (Rosen/Stead) Rosen, Stead, and Schwab voted in the affirmative; Welch opposed...to restrict any large scale H1N1 clinics which the Health Department might hold to ages 10 and up...within the priority guidelines set by DPH and CDC.
Andy Stead asked that this “heads-up” information be placed on our website and on the school department website...so that parents know to contact their child’s physician if looking for the vaccine for a child under the age of 10.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 PM
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