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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConservation Comm 04/20/1981Id4v MANSFIELD CONSERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1981 PAGE 1 Members Present: Chairwoman Dianne Royle, Coms. Paul Boyden (arrived at 8:30 PM), Keith Johnson, Jane Sheehan, Doris Webb Minutes: MOTION: To accept the Minutes of April 6, 1981 wi h eFdK (Sheehan - Johnson; all in favor) o, Correspondence: 1. April 14, 1981 letter from David White requesting a deter- mination regarding the six maple trees cut down in front of his 280 School Street home. The Commissioners agreed to consult the Mass. General Laws and make such a determination at the next meeting. 2. March 31, 1981 bill from MANSFIELD PRESS in the amount of $11.20 for "applicants wanted" advertisement. f MOTION: To pay this will to the MANSFIELD PRESS in the t amount of $11.20. (Sheehan - Webb; all in favor) VOTED 3. April 20, 1981 letter from Margot Jellinek regarding stock- piling by Peter DeGirolamo near a wetlands off East Street. Chairwoman Royle and Com. Sheehan will make an on-site inspection during the week. Northeast Weed Control Co. - Bungay Lake: A Wetlands Protection Act Hearing was held for this project (File No. SE211-75) at 8:00 PM. A summary of this hearing is filed separately; a tape of the hearing is also on file with the Town Clerk. (Com. Boyden joined the meeting during this hearing.) Steven MacCaffrie - Applicant for Vaca.ncv on Commission: Mr. MacCaffrie suggested that since he is employed by a genera.l contractor, he might be able to bring a little of the "opposition" view to the Commission. In his working capacity, Mr. MacCaffrie has followed Orders of Conditions and is therefore somewhat familiar with the role played by a Conservation Commission. Ray Goddard - 496 Ware Street: Mr. Goddard appeared before the Commission to lodge a formal complaint against Leon Grant's development of the pond on his property which had been the subject of a Wetlands Protection Act Hearing - File No. SE211-52. Mr. / MANSFIELD CONSERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1981 Goddard supplied an overlay which the pond is being dug much larger and that the water is within four line rather than the 100 feet from stipulated. MINUTES PAGE 2 he claims indicates that than originally proposed, feet of the Goddard property m the property line as originally Leon Grant intervened at this point to say that the pond is not yet complete and that when the groundwater is exposed it is bound to overflow onto the land. When asked by Chairwoman Royle whether or not he has excavated in the area concerning Mr. Goddard, Mr. Grant stated that he has removed some peat around the pond in order to provide a roadway around the pond. Chairwoman Royle informed Mr. Grant that the one-year work. period provided by the Order of Conditions for this project ended on March 31, 1981 and he has not yet requested an extension. Mr. Grant stated that he did not begin his pond until August 11, 1981. Chairwoman Royle explained that regardless of when he began the project, the Order of Conditions went into effect on March 31, 1980 and he should immediately request in writing a one-year extension for this project. Mr. Grant went on to say that Building Inspector Cook has inspected this project periodically. MOTION: To send a letter to Bertram Cook, Building Inspector asking him whether the Grant pond is progressing as stipulated in the conditions he set forth in his letter of October 29, 1979 to Leon Grant, which letter was made a part of the Commission's Order of Conditions for this project. Specifically of interest would be: (1) whether the area of the pond is greater than that shown on the plan and (2) whether the edge of the area of excavation is 50 feet from the existing property lines. (Webb - Sheehan; all in favor) VOTED Cabot Pond: Edward Morrison asked the Commission whether they are satisfied that Cabot Pond is progressing according to their Order of Conditions. He is particularly concerned about 22 feet of trees that have been cut in a 50 -foot buffer zone between the Willowdale Golf Course and Cabot Pond. Robert Morrison and his father informed the Commission that they have no complaints with Messrs. Chavaree and Willis and their development of Cabot Pond. Mr. Chavaree explained that the trees in question had been cut in order to provide the slope in and out of the water required by the Army Corps of Engineers for an extended wildlife habitat. Mr. Chavaree went on to say that the 50 -foot buffer zone is required by the Zoning Bylaws and no mention is made of grass, trees, etc. Therefore, the 50 -foot buffer zone does exist even though trees have been cut. MANSFIELD CONSERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1981 PAGE 3 Com. Webb suggested that the Commission might have some grievance with the Corps of Engineers because when the mitigation plan for Cabot Pond was presented to the Commission, no mention was made of this tree cutting. J. P. Smith - 500 School Street: (File No. SE211-68) J. P. Smith and Ralph Maloon appeared before the Commission to present the plans reflecting the agreement reached during the on-site inspection of this project on Thursday, April 9, 1981 by Com. Sheehan, Chris Tilden of DEQE, Messrs. Smith and Maloon. Com. Sheehan took Chairwoman Royle and Coms. Johnson and Sweet over the same ground on Saturday, April 11, 1981, to explain these changes. MOTION: To amend the 3/9/80 Order of Conditions to comply with the plans for this project revised on April 20, 1981 reflecting the changes agreed to during Chris'Tilden's (DEQE) April 9, 1981 on-site inspection. This agreement sets new limits for the fill and work area and allows for a drainage swale from the existing catchbasin on School Street to the swamp in the rear of the property. (Sheehan - Johnson; all in favor) VOTED Thomas Coughlin - East Street: (File No. SE211-74) Ralph Maloon submitted the 100 -yeas arm calculations requested by the Commission at the hearing for this project. Com. Johnson informed Mr. Maloon that during the on-site inspection on Saturday, April 11, 1981, the Commissioners agreed that a 12 - inch pipe should be installed at the hook in the driveway to prevent water from puddling in this area. Sludge Disposal: Coms. Sheehan and Webb reported on theinformational meeting held at the Town Hall regarding the Environmental Notification Form for the Mansfield Sludge Study. MOTION: To send a letter to the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs listing the Commission's concerns and possible solutions: 1. Rather than holding runoff water from the sludge landfill in a retention area, pump the runoff bask to the sewage treatment plant to avoid any possible mosquito, odor, or pollution problems. 2. Rather than landfilling for one-half the year and composting the other half, composting more and landfilling less because composting requires less space and is environmentally a more sound practice. MANSFIELD CONSERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1981 MINUTES PAGE 4 3. Rather than clearing off approximately two acres of trees adjacent to the Sheehan property, start the land- filling on the opposite end which is already cleared and only cut trees as area is needed. (Webb - Sheehan; all in favor) VOTED Correspondence(Cont ' 4. April 7, 1981 letter from Norwood Engineering Company, Inc. requesting a one-year extension for Robert Rizzo's Planting - field Road project.' MOTION: Since this is the third extension requested, to send a letter requesting Mr. Rizzo or his represen- tative to appear before the Commission to present a status report on the project and to explain any problems encountered and the reasons for the extension request. (Boyden - Sheehan; all in favor) VOTED Com. Boyden suggested that it might be helpful to include in each Order of Conditions some stipulations regarding information to be provided in order to obtain an extension for a project. 5. April 14, 1981 letter from Boy Scout Troop 55 asking permission to set up a troop base camp in the Great Woods. MOTION: To grant Troop 55 permission to set up a troop base camp in the Great Woods but to request information concerning the location of the camp, the number of Boy.Scouts to use the camp, when it would be used, what sanitary facilities are planned, and what clean-up steps will be taken. 6. Copy of March 12, 1981 letter to Town Manager Maurer from Whitman & Howard, Inc. concerning Mill Pond. Carl Nelson - School Street: MOTION: To send a letter to Carl Nelson informing him that if the Commission does not receive the additional information requested at his January 26, 1981 Wetlands Protection Act Hearing (File No. SE211-69)--a letter from Edward Carl and any others whose property is involved in this project granting him permission to do the work as proposed --this project will be denied. (Boyden - Webb; all in favor) VOTED MANSFIELD CONSERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1981 PACE 5 StOra2e of Excess Materials: MOTION: To send a letter to the Planning Board urgently requesting a study regarding the creation of a bylaw that controls storage of excess materials, citing Carl Nelson's School Street storage area as a prime example of the necessity fcr such controls. (Boyden - Webb; all in favor) VOTED Wetlands Bylaw: Chairwoman Royle has extended an invitation to the Board of Selectmen through David May to attend the public hearing to be held on Monday, April 27, 1981, to acquaint the public with the proposed Wetlands Bylaw. Motorcross Track: MOTION: To concur with Chairwoman Royle's tentative permission for Paul Split to replant two-, three-, and four -foot pine trees along the roadway to enhance the public view of the track. (Boyden - Johnson; all in favor) VOTED Rebecca White - School Street: (File No. SE211-60) Chairwoman Royle received a report from Barbara Libby, 243 School Street, that the Whites have begun pulling stumps on their School Street property without using the haybales for siltation control as stipulated in DEQE's Superseding Order of Conditions. Chairwoman Royle telephoned David White to tell him that he must install hay - bales and asked Mrs. Libby to notify the Commission if more stump pulling occurs without haybales having been put in place. Adjournment: MOTION: To adjourn this meeting at 11:20 PM. (Boyden - Johnson; all in favor) Accepted By Date to Town Clerk pem VOTED APPLICANT: Northeast Weed Control Co. HEARING DATE: Monday, April 20, 1981 at 8:00 PM PROJECT LOCATION: Bungay Lame PURPOSE OF PROJECT: Aquatic vegetation control JAY 11981 Joe Lyons of Northeast Weed Control Co. ma the red,enta Bungay Lake has been treated for the past five years by Northeast Weed Control Co., each treatment aimed at the particular weeds causing a. nuisance and each treatment effective for one year. Only chemicals approved by the EPA, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and DEQE are used within the stated toleration limits and the Lake is posted according to label recommendations. Aauathol K is the chemical to be used this year. The dilution will be 1 part/million or .6 gallons/acre foot. This chemical has been used in reservoirs and will have no effect on animal life in the lake. Mrs. Jellinek asked about the method of dilution. The deweeding is carried out from a boat equipped with hoses leading from the lake to a pump. Two and one-half gallons of Aquathol K is mixed with 100,000 gallons of lake water. When the five -gallon containers are emptied, they are flushed three times with lake water, sealed, and returned to the Westwood offices of Northeast Weed Control where they are picked up by a liscensed pesticide container collector. In response to Com. Sheehan's question concerning the need for such weed control, Mr. Lyons indicated that Bungay lake is a very shallow body of water with a high nitrate and high phosphate count. Phosphates, particularly, are culturally caused--Bungay La?;e is in a high population area and although there are no private wells on the lake, there also is no town sewerage. When Com. Webb inquired about alternatives to this chemical approach Mr. Lyons explained that harvesting is very expensive and provides unreliable results and introducing a. new animal species to eat the weeds can unbalance the whole ecosystem of the area. Mark France, a director of the Bungay Lake Association, who employs Northeast Weed Control, explained to the Commission that prior to having the aquatic vegetation controlled professionally the residents individually spread pellets to kill the weeds. They were looking for a more reliable and safe method and sought out the firm who serviced Norton Reservoir --Northeast Weed Control. Past managers of the Fish Hatchery have been aware of this program and have endorsed it. Mr. Lyons, in response to a question about what happens to the dead weeds, explained that some wash to shore, and some sink to the bottom to disintegrate. The hearing ended at 8:40 PM.