ARLINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
JULY 11, 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, David White, Christine Wallace, Timothy Sullivan, Catherine Garnett and Judith Hodges of the Commission. Rich Gallagher of Rotondi &Sons, Inc., represented the Arlington Boys & Girls Club project. Alan McClennen, Director of Planning and Eugene Benson, Elizabeth Karpathi and Jeff Thielman of the Spy Pond Committee were present. Ellen Mass, President of the Friends of Alewife Reservation was present. Also present were Kristin Anderson, Ann Norton, and Billy Kiely of Sunnyside Ave and Dan Bronstein of Draper Ave.
7:30pm MISCELLANEOUS –
Hodges/White motioned to approve the 6/20 minutes; motion passed unanimously, with Mr. Sullivan in abstention since he was not present at the 6/20 meeting..
Fiscal: Garnett/Wallace motioned to pay copying bills for the report to Town Meeting, Ms. Beckwith for camera, printer and accessories; motion passed unanimously. Hodges/Wallace motioned to pay Mr. White for fish ladder materials; motion passed unanimously,
7:45pm 60 POND LANE, ARLINGTON BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, REQUEST FOR DETERMINATION OF APPLICABILITY for addition to second story within Buffer Zone to Spy Pond
Mr. Gallagher presented the proposal to construct an addition over the existing block foundation of the boat shed. The materials would be carried in by hand and lifted via crane parked on the existing parking lot.
The Commission asked that a siltfence be installed at the limit of work next to the Pond. Mr. Gallagher agreed with this request.
Sullivan/Hodges motioned to issue a Determination of Applicability even though the project is within an area of jurisdiction, the work proposed will not alter the resource area and therefore that no Notice of Intent is required; motion passed unanimously.
8:15 SPY POND - working session to discuss removal of the sand bar next to Rte. 2 and park shore treatments
Mr. Benson recounted the history of the proposal to remove the sand bar coming from the Rt. 2 storm drain outlet. The sand was last removed in 1975. The proposal includes lowering of the Pond by as much as 4 feet, by removing the flashboards from the control structure and the use of a cofferdam. This will allow the pump out of the wet sand with the minimum amount of water, via a vacuum pump truck sited on the exit ramp from Rte 2 at Pleasant St. through a long hose. The work would take approximately 4-8 weeks.
Karsten Hartel and Stewart Sanders were contacted about fish habitat. They recommended not doing this work during the late spring, late June (while the eggs are in the water and during migrations).
Bathymetry was recently done and would give an idea of how much area would be exposed. This might provide opportunity to clean up debris in the near shore areas, old structures from the ice house near Linwood Circle, sediments from other Town owned drainage outfalls and possibly to study the groundwater flows into the Pond.
Mr. Thielman wanted feedback from the Commission on the use of vegetation, fencing, riprap, open beach and boardwalk access to the Pond from the Spy Pond Park.
8:30 PRESENTATION by Ellen Mass of Wildlife Survey conducted by David Brown for the Alewife Reservation
Ms. Mass presented detailed and useful information about wildlife within the Alewife Reservation to the Commission for its use and distribution. She described her ongoing work to conduct tours, cleanups and an invasive species control demonstration project at Yates Pond.
The Commission thanked Ms. Mass for all of her hard work and dedication to keep attention focused on the heretofore very neglected Alewife Reservation.
MISCELLANEOUS, CONT.-
The ramp next to Gold’s Gym was paved by the bikepath contractor and given a paved lip to prevent water from entering the bikeway from the parking lot. The Commission will draft a letter to Gold’s Gym concerning it’s placement of the bench.
Ms. Garnett has drafted a design for the entrance ramp at Bow St. The design includes use of new planting beds and a possible use of granite block. Ms. Garnett and Mr. White will meet with interested neighbors before finalizing the plan.
Ms. Anderson of 125 Sunnyside reported more communications with Algonquin Gas regarding at Alewife Reservation. The Commission held a site walk on 6/26/02 at 6pm that was well attended by residents and others, including Representative Marzilli. Mr. White submitted detailed notes about the meeting for the ACC files. Mr. Stevens suggested drafting a letter from the Commission to Algonquin Gas requesting its plans to restore the area.
Mr. Bronstein spoke to the Commission regarding the Mystic Bank properties next to the Lower Mystic Lake. He recounted a history of the placement of unauthorized fill and the construction of the wall, following construction of the Amelia Erhart Dam in the 1930s. He asserted that the property in question was previously exposed lake bottom and is owned by the Commonwealth. This supposition could mean there had been a survey error and other permutations that affect ACC permits. The Commission agreed to seek the advice of Town Counsel before acting on any of this information.
The Commission voted to convene at approximately 11pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Cori Beckwith, Administrator
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