Minutes of the October 20, 2004 Meeting
Conference Room B, Audrey P. Beck Building
Present: Jennifer Kaufman, Quentin Kessel, Lanse Minkler (acting chair), John Silander, Robert Thorson, and Frank Trainor.
Absent: Robert Dahn and Denise Burchsted
Town Staff: Grant Meitzler, Inland Wetlands Agent and Gregory Padick, Mansfield Town Planner
Guests: James Boisvert; Louis G. Marquet and Macon C. Toledano of Leyland Alliance and Michael W. Klemens, consultant for Leyland Alliance LLC ; Cynthia van Zelm of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.
1. The meeting was called to order at 7:35 PM.
2. The regular order of the meeting was waived to accommodate guests attending the meeting.
3. IWA Referrals.
a) W1275 - Boisvert - Route 32. Map date, 9/2/04. This application is for a series of self-storage buildings on a mined out gravel pit area that presently serves as a site for a construction company. The CC is concerned with the possible illegal storage of hazardous wastes. It was noted that the gravel mining operation probably brought the surface of the area down as close to the water table as was permitted, and that any spill might have a significant negative impact. However, Kessel moved and Trainor seconded, that there should be no significant negative impact on the wetlands due to this construction as long as the sedimentation and erosion controls shown on the map are in place during the construction and removed after the site is stabilized. The motion passed with five in favor and one abstention.
4. Discussion of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership with the Leyland Alliance master developer group. Marquet, executive vice president of Leyland Alliance began by describing a few of their successful development projects and overall planning goals for the Mansfield Down Partnership. In particular he emphasized their ability to match developments to communities in unique ways. Klemens, an environmental consultant for Leyland Alliance described his background and philosophy in protecting the quality of opens space and wetlands and watercourses. He went on to review the Mansfield Downtown Partnership site with an emphasis on the types of salamanders observed and other environmental signals of wetland quality. He took note of the vernal pool on the site and commented on what will be required to maintain it in a viable state. He also took note of the fact that approximately 25 acres of the approximately 70 acre site had originally been designated for construction, but that he is recommending, because of environmental concerns for the vernal pool, the wetlands and streams, that only about 14 of the acres be developed.
5. Town Planner Greg Padick reviewed the status of the Town's updated Plan of Conservation and Development and the probable timetable for its completion. The Town hopes to hold public hearings in March and to approve the plan by late spring or early summer. He went on to discuss major changes to the 1993 plan. These included the possibility of designating more of Mansfield for two-acre zoning, but with the idea of preserving open space. This new plan would have a one-acre zoning component which would be extended to those parts of Town currently zoned for 2-acres. The CC pointed out that, to the CC's disappointment, the recent "shared driveway" modification of the zoning regulations permitted three houses to be constructed on lots that might have only been allowed a single house before. The CC asked if the new one-acre zoning component might not allow even more intensive development without contributing significantly to the preservation of open space. Padick argued that overall, he felt that the proposed changes would preserve open space.
Padick reviewed maps titled "Planned Conservation Areas" and "Planned Development Areas" dated 2004 and prepared for the Town of Mansfield by the Windham Region council of Governments and asked for the CC's input on them. Kessel noted that the Open Space Preservation Committee planned to meet the following Tuesday at 7:00 PM to consider these maps and to begin preparing recommendations and that members of the CC were invited to attend. This would permit the CC to go over its recommendations at the November meeting and to forward them to Padick in time for the Town's consideration.
6. Thorson distributed a taxonomy for stone materials. He explained that one of the reasons for developing a taxonomy is to begin the process of developing a classification, naming protocols, a method of inventory/mapping, and establishing priorities in the relative importance of stone walls on large land holdings or on public lands. Much of the present taxonomy will be published by Walker and Company as a chapter and an appendix to Thorson's new book, "Exploring Stone Walls, A field Guide to Stone Walls."
It was agreed that such a taxonomy should be incorporated into the Town's revision of its Plan of Conservation and Development together with guidelines for the preservation of stone walls in the Town of Mansfield.
7. Silander reported that a very invasive grass that is shade tolerant has been found along North Eagleville Road. The grass is know as Japanese stilt grass - Microstegium vimineum.
8. The minutes of the September 14, 2004 meeting were tabled to allow a full discussion of them at the November meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 9:24 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Quentin Kessel
Secretary