ARLINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
FEBRUARY 28, 2002
Mr. Stevens called the meeting to order at 7:30pm in the second floor conference room of the Town Hall Annex. Present were Nathaniel Stevens, Timothy Sullivan, David White, Catherine Garnett and Christine Wallace of the Commission. Kevin O’Brien, Assistant Planning Director, and contractor’s Giovanni Albanese, Andrea Giano, and Jim Walton of Walton Systems International, Inc. represented the Reed’s Brook project. Robert Weidknecht, of Beals and Thomas Inc., and Harry Anderson, Sunrise Development represented 1395 Massachusetts Ave. Also in attendance were John Belskis, Bob Lafyatis, Charlie Gallagher, Bill Ford, Jon Gersh and Brian Taranto of the Poet’s corner neighborhood.
7:30pm MISCELLANEOUS –
Sullivan/White motioned to approve the minutes of 2/7/02 with edits from Mr. Stevens; motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Beckwith met with the Comptrollers department and received detailed lists of our accounts. This will aid in organizing our finances. A report on these may be due to the Board of Selectmen.
Ms. Wallace reported on the latest Friends of Spy Pond meeting. The stormdrain markers designs are being finalized. The goal is to have these ready for installation on Earth Day, April 22.
Mr. O’Brien presented a change in the method of sediment removal from the southern channel leading out of the Reed’s Brook project. The proposed method is to use a hose system to pump out the sediments to a tanker truck. The slurry will be dewatered behind a sand berm in an engineer approved location outside of any resource areas on the Reed’s Brook site. The Commission expressed its approval of such a method as it is much less invasive than using a back hoe and dump trucks.
7:45pm MT. PLEASANT CEMETARY, AMENDMENT TO ORDER OF CONDITIONS #91-135 for construction of loam storage bin within the floodplain, Bufferzone and Riverfront Area of Mill Brook – continued from 1/17/02.
White/Sullivan made a motion to continue the hearing at the applicant’s request to 3/21/01; motion passed unanimously.
8:00pm 1395 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, SUNRISE DEVELOPMENT, ORDER OF CONDITIONS #91-144
The Commission received the request for a Certificate of Compliance along with as-built plans. Ms. Beckwith conducted a site walk on 2/11/02. The work is complete, vegetation is well established. The bank to Mill Brook was appropriately weeded of some invasive plants. DPW also performed some additional clearing at a later date.
Wallace/Garnett made a motion to approve the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance with continuing conditions for stormwater and site maintenance; motion passed unanimously.
8:15pm POET’S CORNER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSN – presentation of slide show regarding flooding and discussion of Warrant Article regarding isolated wetlands.
The neighborhood group presented a slide show of information regarding the drainage of the wetland at Poet’s Corner. The historic waterway is named Clematis Brook which still drains to Beaver Brook in Belmont and Waltham. Clematis Brook is now culverted under Route 2.
The Commission discussed the Warrant Article proposed by 10 citizens of the neighborhood group and made its recommendation to modify the language slightly regarding the bylaw revision, but to exclude regulation changes from the article. The neighborhood group and the Commission were in agreement on the modification to the language of the proposed Warrant Article.
White/Wallace motioned to recommend to the Board of Selectmen a revised/substitute motion at Town Meeting; motion passed unanimously.
MISCELLANEOUS, CONT.-
The Conservation Lands regulations were edited and the language will be reviewed by Town Counsel.
The Great Meadows Friends group has scheduled an open to the public meeting to garner support for Tuesday, March 12, 2002 from 7:30-9:30pm, at the Community Safety Building on Mystic St.
The Commission discussed the need for reports on the results of water treatments in the Arlington Reservoir, and Spy Pond. Ms. Beckwith will check with Gerry Smith of Aquatic Control for these reports. We have received the report on treatment of Hills Pond. We also need to implement plans for another Water chestnut removal treatment at the Reservoir this summer.
The Commission received a request from Tufts to install two water quality monitoring stations, one at the Route 60 bridge over the Mystic River and another at the Broadway bridge over the Alewife Brook. The Commission is amenable to such work and will ask for copies of any data which is generated at the stations and copies of any related studies or reports.
The Commission voted to convene at approximately 10:30pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Cori Beckwith, Administrator
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