Hingham Conservation Commission
Meeting Minutes
January 24, 2011 - 7:00 pm - Central North – 2nd Floor
Present: Carolyn Nielsen-Chair, Charles Berry-Vice Chair, Daniel Coughlin, Scott McIsaac, Alan McKenna, Robert Perry,
Nina Villanova and Cliff Prentiss, Conservation Officer
Absent: None
CONSERVATION AGENDA
7:00 PM Old/New Business
Approve Draft Minutes – January 10, 2011, Draft Ex. Session Minutes – 12 13 10
Draft Wetlands Brochure
Certificates of Compliance
Cedar Street – (Cohasset Golf Club) – DEP SE 34 0926
8 Steamboat Lane – DEP SE 34 1051
65 Ward Street – DEP SE 34 0649
7:15 PM Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation
1055 and 1057 Main Street –DEP SE 34 1055 - Continuance
Continuance requested till February 7, 2011
Applicant: Church of the Resurrection, Hingham-Rockland / Rep.: A. Loomis – McKenzie Eng.
7:30 PM
Notices of Intent
39 Bel Air Road – No DEP Number or Comments as of 1 18 11
Proposed seawall repair
Applicant: 193 Realty Trust
230 Ward Street – DEP SE 34 1049 - Continuance
Applicant: Nicholas Trifone / Representative: James Burke-Decelle-Burke & Associates
Executive Session – Pending Litigation
And other such business pending before the Commission.
Old/New Business
1. Draft Minutes January 10, 2010
Discussion: Edits were discussed.
Motion: Commissioner Coughlin motioned to approve the 01/10/11 minutes as amended.
Second: Commissioner Berry In Favor: All Opposed: None
2. Draft MinutesDraft Ex. Session Minutes – 12 13 10
Discussion: No changes are needed.
Motion: Commissioner Villanova motioned to approve the 12/13/10 minutes as written.
Second: Commissioner Berry In Favor: All Opposed: None
3. Draft Wetlands Brochure
Commissioners will review draft and send comments to Commissioner Nielsen before the next meeting on 2/7/11.
4. Certificates of Compliance
Cedar Street – (Cohasset Golf Club) – DEP SE 34 0926, 8 Steamboat Lane– DEP SE 34 1051
65 Ward Street – DEP SE 34 0649
The Conservation Officer reviewed each Request for COC and noted that each project has been built according to the Orders of Conditions.
Motion: Commissioner Coughlin motioned to issue Certificates of Compliance for Cedar Street – (Cohasset Golf Club), 8 Steam Boat Laneand 65 Ward Street.
Second: Commissioner Perry In Favor: All Opposed: None
5. MACC Annual Environmental Conference will be held on March 5, 2011. Funds are available in the Conservation budget for Commissioners to attend. Please submit registrations at least 2 weeks before the Conference to the office if you would like the staff to process your workshop choices through Accounting.
6. Foundry Pond update
- Meeting this Thursday with Community Preservation Committee
- Conservation Officer is speaking to several engineers for bids
- Asking the Town Administrator for the okay to get verbal bids
- Need to know where the Commission wants to go on this
- DEP is likely to deny the dredging project as it exists as we exceed the 5,000 square foot threshold of wetlands allowed to alter
- The Rivers Restoration spokesperson who presented a program in Norwell is urging breeching of Foundry Pond dam instead of dredging
- Mr. Sarni’s correspondence dated 01/10/11 was noted
- Cannot let large amounts of sediment go down stream
Commissioner Nielsen read the usual information dealing with hearings. She noted that the packets to the Commissioners did not arrive in the mail for tonight’s hearing.
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation
1055 and 1057 Main Street –DEP SE 34 1055 – Continuance requested till February 7, 2011
Applicant: Church of the Resurrection, Hingham-Rockland / Rep.: A. Loomis – McKenzie Engineering
Applicant would like to request a continuance to February 7, 2011 due to the snow cover.
Motion: Commissioner Berry motioned to issue a continuance for 1055 & 1057 Main St. with the applicants consent to February 7, 2011.
Second: Commissioner McIsaac In Favor: All Opposed: None
Notices of Intent
39 Bel Air Road – DEP SE 34 – 1057 - Proposed seawall repair
Applicant: 193 Realty Trust
Plans presented are in the file.
Presentation by Bryan Sweeney:
- DEP has issued a file number
- Removing a failed concrete seawall which was 2-3 feet high
- Proposed project is to replace a failed seawall (90 linear feet) with sloped boulder rip-rap
- Erosion controls will be a continuous barrier of hay bales
- All construction work will be done from the upland
- Will work to protect thorn tree and its root system
- Remove seawall and place geo-textile against natural soils
- Place bedding stone over geo-textile with stones
- No crushed concrete or recycled back fill will be used
- Chinking stone will be replaced in spring between riprap as completed.
Conservation Officer:
- Will the filing be replacing the rail road tie wall? (Applicant: not repairing it just yet)
- Hopefully this repair will absorb the storm energy to a greater degree
- Fortunate that no further erosion has occurred since last storm
Commissioner Nielsen opened up the hearing to the public. None. Commissioner Nielsen closed the hearing to the public.
Motion: Commissioner Villanova motioned to close the hearing for 39 Bel Air Road and issue an Order of Conditions.
Second: Commissioner Perry In Favor: All Opposed: None
230 Ward Street – DEP SE 34 1049 - Continuance
Applicant: Nicholas Trifone / Representative: James Burke-Decelle-Burke & Associates
All plans presented are in the file.
Jeff Tocchio:
- Design changes presented tonight are in response to Mr. Chessia’s last peer review comments
- A continuance will be appropriate since we are discussing which model to pursue dealing with storm water calculations
- Agricultural use documents submitted in support of the applicant’s belief the project falls under the agricultural use definition
Jim Burke:
- Test pits locations with Soil logs are provided
- Downsizing of a paddock
- Gravel drive was removed from within the no disturb zone
- Vegetative strip of native plant species included for a river habitat buffer
- Shallow detention basin has been added to accept runoff from storm events
- Underground recharge system was reduced to handle ground water recharge
- Underground recharge system overflows have been revised to include erosion and scour protection
- Stormwater management system has been revised to include a detention basin that attenuates flows for 10, 25 & 100 year storms
- Operation and Maintenance Control Plan has been revised
Conservation Officer:
- Report received but have not had the chance to review
- Applicant is on the correct approach
- More remediation along the wetlands edge is needed, planting details needed
- Can create a condition in perpetuity requiring removal of all manure from the operation with a structured timeframe
- Horse urine is very high in nitrates, and the wetlands can assist as a water treatment solution if planned correctly
John Chessia:
- Drainage plans need some tweaking
- Proposed plans still include work within the no disturb buffer zone
- Existing paddock fence will be moved and plantings done
- Commission should review alternatives analysis and agricultural definition
- Recommend stone trench along the edge of the existing gravel drive and paddocks to trap sediment prior to flow into the adjacent wetlands
- Hydrographs need to be extended for a full period of storms to quantify volume
- Pitch grade of riding area slope away from the wetlands
- Propose berms and swales to be used for runoff treatment before release into wetlands
- Construction entrance under the old building site, is it a good idea?
Commission:
- Question remains on the amount of area encroached upon in the 50 foot buffer
- Graphics will help, existing vs. proposed
- Is it an improvement over existing conditions?
- Commissioners Villanova and McKenna will review agricultural exemptions
Commissioner Nielsen opened the hearing to the public. None. Commissioner Nielsen closed the hearing to the public.
Motion: Commissioner Berry motioned to issue a continuance for 230 Ward Street with the applicants consent to February 28, 2011.
Second: Commissioner Villanova In Favor: All Opposed: None
The Conservation Officer noted that it was reported to the Selectmen that the gates have been “reinstalled” at 15 Merrill St with a No Trespassing sign.
The Commission did not go into Executive Session.
Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________
Cliff Prentiss, Conservation Officer Approved as amended on 02/28/11.