CORNWALL INLAND WETLANDS AND WATERCOURSES AGENCY
MINUTES OF THE
REGULAR MEETING MARCH 3, 2009 CORNWALL TOWN OFFICE BUILDING
Present: Regular members Celia Senzer and Adam Fischer and alternate Andrew MacDavid.
Absent: D. Stevenson Hedden, William Hurlburt, Doc Simont and Alternate Roger Kane.
Acting chairman Celia Senzer called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM in the Cornwall Town Hall Offices with a quorum established. All members participated in the proceedings with Andrew MacDavid seated for regular member Steve Hedden.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 2009 regular meeting.
Motion Mr. Fischer, second Mr. MacDavid to approve the minutes of the February meeting as presented: unanimously approved.
PENDING APPLICATIONS: None.
NEW APPLICATIONS:
App #525 – DeForest Benjamin – “Petition for a declaratory ruling for the construction of a farm pond (previously approved – 1988 and never constructed) – 115 Furnace Brook Road.
No one was in attendance to represent the application.
Motion Mr. Fischer, second Mr. MacDavid to accept App #525 – DeForest Benjamin – “Petition for a declaratory ruling for the construction of a farm pond (previously approved – 1988 and never constructed) – 115 Furnace Brook Road and to table further discussion to the April regularly scheduled meeting. (To be listed under “Pending applications”); unanimously approved.
App #526 – Push’em Up Farms LLC applicant/owner – Restoration and modification of an existing agricultural pond – 192 River Road.
Information made part of the record.
“Pond Restoration Plans prepared for Push’em Up Farm LLC” sheets S-1, S-2, E-1 and D1, dated 2/24/09 prepared by Berkshire Engineering.
January 7, 2009 correspondence from George Malia to Berkshire Engineering regarding inspection of the pond for inland wetlands and watercourses with accompanying topographical information as to location and watershed.
George Malia, professional soil scientist and Tim Naylor, representatives for the property owner, addressed the plans, (referenced above) prepared for the maintenance and restoration of and improvements to the existing in-stream pond on the site. Mr. Malia pointed that the plans delineated appropriate areas for the excavated material from the pond to be dewatered as well as erosion and sedimentation control measures to be used during the process. Starting that the plans were already in the process of being submitted to and reviewed by the Army Corp of Engineers and the DEP as part of their permitting process, Mr. Malia noted that Mr. Don Mysling from the state DEP fisheries had also visited the site and had discussed the possible placement of a fish weir in the pond once it been restored to its original depth and state of health.
Motion Mr. Fischer, second Mr. MacDavid, to accept App #526 – Push’em Up Farms LLC applicant/owner – Restoration and modification of an existing agricultural pond – 192 River Road and to table further discussion to the April regularly scheduled meeting. (To be listed under “Pending applications”); unanimously approved.
OTHER BUSINESS PROPER TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
Discussion of fees for all land use applications.
Griswold Nelson advised the commission that all Land Use boards were reviewing current fees, noting that the DEP fee had increased from $10.00 to $30.00 in recent years and that current newspaper noticing added an additional cost over and above the current Inland wetlands application fee of $30.00 total. The matter was to be revisited.
Web Soil Survey – use of NCRS website for land use information.
The commission discussed the use of the NCRS website with input from Mr. Malia as to the use of the web site for soils investigation by land use professionals such as him. The matter was to be revisited.
INLAND WETLANDS OFFICER REPORT.
ADJOURNMENT.
Motion by unanimous vote to adjourn at 8:30PM; unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Griswold Nelson