TOWN OF MANSFIELD

CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Minutes of the November 28, 2007 Meeting

Conference Room B, Audrey P. Beck Building

 

Present:          Peter Drzewiecki, Quentin Kessel (Chair), Frank Trainor, Rachel Rosen, Sheri Roy, John Silander and Robert Dahn (Acting Secretary).

Absent:           Scott Lehmann.

Town Staff:     None present.

Guests:           None present.

 

1.  The meeting was called to order at 7:34 PM.

 

2.  No formal roll call was conducted and attendance was noted upon arrival.

 

3.  No public comment was offered.

 

4.  The minutes of the October 17, 2007, meeting, as amended by Kessel, were approved unanimously on a motion by Trainor, seconded by Silander.

 

5. New Business:

  1. A draft of Torrey Property Management Plan was presented and approved unanimously, with a strong recommendation that the property name remain “The Torrey Property”, on a motion by Dahn, seconded by Trainor.
  2. A draft of the Planning, Management and Acquisition Guidelines for Mansfield Open Space, Park, Recreation and Agriculture Properties was presented. Comment was tabled pending further review.
  3. Meeting Dates for 2008 were presented and approved unanimously, on a motion by Drzewiecki, seconded by Rosen.
  4. A draft plan of the proposed pull off area required for public access to the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) was presented. A motion by Silander, seconded by Drzewiecki, stating the Commission believed there could be significant impact to the wetlands was passed. The Commission recommended that the parking area be rotated to conform to the current path configuration, that the number of spaces be reduced to 3, that that Sedimentation and Erosion controls be in place during construction and removed when the site is stabilized and that appropriate trash containers be provided and maintained by the University.

 

6. Continuing Business: None

 

7. PZC Referrrals: None

 

8. IWA Referrals.

  1. W1389: Sabrina Pools/Enright, Old Schoolhouse Road, Above ground pool. Passed unanimously a motion by Drzewiecki seconded by Trainor, that there would be no significant negative impact if appropriate sediment and erosion controls were in place during construction and removed when the site is stabilized.
  2. W1390: Kovarovics, Daleville Road, Single family house in the buffer.  Passed unanimously a motion by Silander seconded by Trainor, that 1) the Commission believes the site is a marginal location, 2) Option B (10-12-07) is the better of the two presented, 3) the house should be moved closer to the road via variance or other appropriate means, and 4) there may be significant impact regardless of the option chosen.    

 

5. Communications:

  1. Open Space Committee Minutes.
  2. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes.
  3. Inland Wetlands Agency Packet.
  4. Consent Order #SRD 101, CTDEP Quarterly Progress Report-July, August, September 2007 UConn Landfill-October 19, 2007.
  5. UConn Water System Supply and Conservation Assessment-Update-October 25, 2007.
  6. Model Municipal Regulations for Acquifer Protection Areas-October 1, 2007.

 

10. Other Business: None

 

11. Future Agenda Items: None

 

12.  The meeting adjourned at 8:47 P.M.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Robert Dahn

Acting Secretary

 

 

Attachment: Report on 13 Nov 07 IWA field trip (Scott Lehmann)

W1389 (Enright, Old School House Rd.)  A 24-ft diameter, above-ground pool is proposed for an area just behind the house, at the top of a slope that steepens as it drops to a watercourse.  The pool site would require some leveling – perhaps a 1.5 ft cut at the top & a 2 ft fill at the bottom.  Something should probably be done to control erosion, should there be heavy rain after construction.  If the pool were to fail catastrophically (does this ever happen?), a lot of water would end up washing down into the watercourse.

W1390 (Kavarovics, Daleville Rd.)  This land has extensive wetlands behind a relatively shallow dry area near the road. Just off the road at the north edge of the property there is a very small pond (probably artificial) in the watercourse that drains into the property from across the road.  Slope from road to wetlands is modest. The required set-back (85 ft?) from the road forces the house close to wetlands – 20 or 30 ft at the closest point, with grading to about 10 ft.  The leaching field of the pumped septic system is about 40 ft from wetlands at the closest point.  From a wetlands-protection perspective, this is a marginal lot.  The situation would be somewhat improved if the house could be sited closer to the road.