CORNWALL INLAND WETLANDS AND WATERCOURSES AGENCY
MINUTES OF THE
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 6, 2009 CORNWALL TOWN OFFICE BUILDING
Present: Regular members D. Stevenson Hedden, Adam Fischer, William Hurlburt, Celia Senzer, Doc Simont, alternates Roger Kane and Andrew MacDavid and Land Use staff Karen Griswold Nelson
Chairman Hedden called the meeting to order at 7:35PM in the Cornwall Town Hall office s with a quorum established. All members were allowed to participate in the proceedings.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: December meeting.
Motion Mr. Hurlburt, second Mr. Kane to approve the minutes of the December regular meeting as presented: unanimously approved.
PENDING APPLICATIONS:
App #521 – Cornwall Water Co./Richard Stone applicant/Regulated activities for the construction of a service driveway to well sites – off Route 4 between Old Brook Road and the Furnace Brook Road.
No one was in attendance to represent the application.
Motion Mr. Simont, second Mr. Hurburt, to table discussion of the application until the arrival of Mr. Stone or until the end of the meeting: unanimously approved.
NEW APPLICATIONS:
App #523 – Laszlo Gyorsok applicant/owner – Construction of an accessory structure (no plumbing or foundation) within wetlands soils – 45 Popple Swamp Road.
No one was in attendance to represent the application.
Ms. Griswold Nelson advised the commission that research of the soils on the site as shown in the newest DEP recommended version of soils mapping, Web Soil Survey (WSS - a web site providing soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey and operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) showed that the site was mostly Raypol silt loam soils, a soils classified as wetlands. Application 105, dated December 1986 for the construction of a deck within regulated areas was referenced as part of the file with note made that land use files showed that the residence has been constructed in 1978 with several other zoning permits for accessory structures and an addition issued perhaps without wetlands permits.
Motion Mr. Fischer, second Mr. Simont to table further discussion of App #523 – Laszlo Gyorsok applicant/owner – Construction of an accessory structure (no plumbing or foundation) within wetlands soils – 45 Popple Swamp Road to the February regularly scheduled meeting. (To be listed under “Pending applications”); unanimously approved.
Motion Mr. Fischer, second Mr. Simont, to table further discussion of App #521 – Cornwall Water Co./Richard Stone applicant/Regulated activities for the construction of a service driveway to well sites – off Route 4 between Old Brook Road and the Furnace Brook Road to the February regularly scheduled meeting. (To be listed under “Pending applications”); unanimously approved.
Mr. Stone in 7:40
By unanimous vote, to un-table the application so as to allow questions and discussion of concerns.
App #521 – Cornwall Water Co./Richard Stone applicant/Regulated activities for the construction of a service driveway to well sites – off Route 4 between Old Brook Road and the Furnace Brook Road.
Mr. Kane, noting that the driveway as marked in the field was very steep, questioned if the plans included the consolidation of the three watercourses into one. In response, Mr. Stone, stated that such was his intent as part of the plans to create the temporary access driveway for service access should one of the wells needed to be pulled. Mr. Stone stated that even with grading, the service access would be 18% grade in areas but that the access, once the wells were installed, would be used only once or twice a year at most with most service access to be by foot access/walking in.
In response to Mr. Kane’s questions regarding the traversing of the raving to install the water line conduits, Mr. Stone addressed the plans to add broken stone in the ravine, to use a big track machine when traversing the ravine and install extra deadhead lines in the conduit pipe to be installed 4 feet down and below the frost line.
Mr. Stone, stating that the project was being required by the State of Connecticut as part of their mandate that all existing surface water wells (artesian) servicing a part of a community were to be eliminated (unless the water supply was chlorinated) and new drilled ground water wells as their replacement. Mr. Stone stated that the project would not start until the necessary funding was approved and received from the state.
Motion Mr. Hurlburt, second Mr. Fischer, to approve App #521 – Cornwall Water Co./Richard Stone applicant/Regulated activities for the construction of a service driveway to well sites – off Route 4 between Old Brook Road and the Furnace Brook Road as per the oral and written testimony of the applicant, including the “Construction sequence for service driveway” as prepared and dated November 18, 2008 and the site plan submitted with the additional condition that the watercourses in the accessway be consolidated into one.
As part of the approval, the Inland wetland Enforcement Officer was to be notified prior to the start of any work on the site to ensure that the erosion and sedimentation controls as specified in the plans were in place prior to the start of work.
Motion unanimously approved.
.
OTHER BUSINESS PROPER TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
December 22, 2008 correspondence from Northeast Utilities regarding scheduled maintenance on a right of way under or near Route 63.
The commission acknowledged receipt of the “advisory” information provided.
The commission discussed information disseminated by the Land Use office that surveyors and other personnel were on Popple Swamp properties investigating two sites as possible locations for telecommunication facilities. It was stated that one site, the Gulliver property (16 Bell Road extension), had been the subject of a withdrawn wetlands application (application #343 -2001) with concerns raised during the application process and public hearing as to wetlands impact created by the accessway as well as other wetlands concerns. With acknowledgment that the permitting process, including the permitting for activities within regulated wetlands areas, was now completely within the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Siting Counsel, it was agreed though that upon receipt of information from the Office of the First Selectman, the first contact in the permitting process, that the sites were under consideration, that the Inland Wetlands Agency would prepare a response, based on the information made part of the Gulliver file, so as be give guidance and recommendation and make their concerns known as part of the initial approval process.
INLAND WETLANDS OFFICER REPORT.
Ms. Griswold Nelson addressed verbal communications received that day from Bart Clark, engineer for the Furnace Brook Farms application regarding the status of the site. It was stated that phase 2 of the project had not been completed due to weather constraints but proper precautions had been taken to stabilize the site until work resumed in the spring.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion Mr. Hurburt, second Mr. Simont to adjourn at 7:55PM; unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Griswold Nelson