Town of Mansfield
Meeting of 21 January 2009
Conference B, Beck Building
Members present: Quentin Kessel, Scott Lehmann, John Silander, Joan Stevenson, Frank Trainor. Members absent: Robert Dahn, Peter Drzewiecki. Others present: Henry Chernushek, Grant Meitzler (Wetlands Agent).
1. The meeting was called to order at 7:34p by Chair Quentin Kessel.
2. The draft minutes of the 17 December 08 meeting were approved, with the addition of a missing verb in the last sentence of item 5.
3. IWA business.
a. Lehmann participated in the IWA field trip on 01/12; his report is attached.
b. W1419 (Chernushek, Middle Tpk.) Mr. Chernushek has cleared and re-graded about one acre of his land for a horse riding area. The cleared area lies in a valley drained by an intermittent stream flowing into a large wetland to the north. Mr. Chernushek did not obtain an IWA permit for this work. Meitzler’s view is that he does not need one – or would not need one, had he avoided clear-cutting by leaving in the stumps – because the work falls under a farming exemption in the Town’s wetland regulations. In the absence of a legal opinion on this issue, which nobody present was qualified to give, the Commission agreed to treat Mr. Chernushek’s proposal as it would any application involving wetlands. It further agreed unanimously (motion: Stevenson, Silander) to communicate to the IWA a number of concerns about this project which the Commission does not have sufficient information to resolve, and to urge the IWA to look into them:
· How will sedimentation of the downstream wetland from deforestation, re-grading and horse riding be prevented?
· How will nutrient loading of the downstream wetland from horse manure be prevented?
· What is the design of the two brook crossings (culvert size, etc.) and is it adequate?
c. W1421 (Clark, Farrell & Hanks Hill Rds) A 4-lot subdivision is proposed, one lot (No.3) containing the existing house. After some discussion the Commission unanimously agreed (motion: Stevenson, Trainor) to make the following recommendations to the IWA/PZC:
· If possible, switch primary and reserve septic locations on Lots 1 & 2 to increase distance from wetlands.
· Run the DAE for Lots 1 and 2 along the rear stone wall so that the land beyond remains forested.
· Shrink the DAE for Lot 4 so as to buffer the wetland.
· Locate driveway cuts for Lots 1 and 2 so as to save the larger trees in the meadow.
· Designate a Conservation Corridor from Hanks Hill Rd. to the proposed Conservation Easement to provide access for wildlife.
4. Planner’s Update and Continuing Business. The Commission briefly noted developments in some matters of interest.
a. CL&P has responded to the Town’s letter on the proposed Interstate Reliability Project. Kessel indicated that the Town’s concerns had not, in his view, been adequately addressed and was persuaded to prepare a memo for the Council to this effect.
b. Some residents have expressed concerns about odors from the proposed UConn Composting Facility. The University is attempting to reassure them.
c. The Draft EIS for the extension of North Hillside Rd to Rt. 44 has been prepared. The preferred alignment is defended as the least environmentally offensive of the Build options (No Build not being an option at this point), where environmental offense is largely reckoned in terms of impact on wetlands.
5. Adjourned at 8:49p.
Scott Lehmann, Secretary
22 January 09; approved 18 March 09
Attachment: Report on 1/12/09 IWA Field Trip
Since the day
was quite cold and the ground covered with snow, we did not walk these
properties. Only such "site characteristics" as could be
observed from driveways or roads were noted.
W1419 (Chernushek, Middle Tpk) The area Mr. Chernushek has identified as
a garden site does not appear to be suited for this purpose. It will
receive limited sunshine, lying as it does along the bottom of a fairly steep
NE-facing slope topped by trees.
W1421 (Clark, Hanks Hill & Farrell Rds) The only part of this
development that is really close to wetlands is a foundation drain on Lot 2,
which exits about 30 ft from wetlands. However, the DAEs for Lots 1, 2,
& 4 extend quite close to wetlands and appear to be larger than
necessary. Those for Lots 1 & 2 might be pulled back to the stone
wall (save for the path of the foundation drain). For some reason, the
primary septic areas for Lots 1 and 2 are closer to the wetland than the
associated reserve areas; is it possible to switch their locations for these
lots? The location of driveways for Lots 1 and 2 could be adjusted to
preserve some nice trees; the stone wall along Farrell Rd is rubble, not fine
stonework, and nothing of significance would be lost by shifting the driveway
cuts a bit from the existing gateways.