ARLINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
APRIL 7, 2005
Mr. Stevens called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the Town Hall Annex. Present were Judith Hodges, Nathaniel Stevens, Catherine Garnett, Ellen Reed, Timothy Sullivan, William O’Rourke and David White of the Commission. Clarissa Rowe of the new Tree Committee and Dr. Peter Braun of Robin Hood Rd. was also present.
7:30 p.m. - COMMISSION BUSINESS
Reed/O’Rourke motioned to approve the 3/17/05 meeting minutes with minor edits; motion passed unanimously.
Tom Reilly is commencing a clean up event at Window on the Mystic this weekend. Some members of the Commission will meet with him at the site to review the trail work proposal.
7:45pm – DISCUSSION- organizing the annual Land Stewards meeting for April 26
Mr. White reviewed the agenda for the meeting. John Pickle will speak on tree phenology, then Ms. Rowe will speak about the new Tree Committee and pass out a survey. The Tree Committee has a website at arlingtontrees.org that includes a species list and a proposed tree bylaw. Then we will discuss individual land parcels in separate groups and afterwards rejoin to go over what was shared in the groups. The Commission will bring refreshments.
Ms. Hodges asked if we should include or encourage a group to form at the new McClennan Park at Reed’s Brook. The Commission thought this was a good idea and maybe someday the new park will have its own Friends group as other parks do.
8:00pm – Notice of Noncompliance- 210 PLEASANT ST -
The Arlington Board of Health notified the Conservation Commission of work taking place on the shoreline of Spy Pond and provided photos of a stone retaining wall and dirt piles. Ms. Beckwith issued a letter to the landowners to clarify that work on the wall requires a permit and to remove the dirt piles or protect them with erosion controls.
The attorney for the owners responded with phone calls and a letter to explain that workers were starting to clean up stones from the pond that had fallen out of the wall during the harsh winter conditions. The dirt piles would be moved beyond the 100 foot Buffer Zone.
The Commission directed Ms. Beckwith to conduct a site walk on 4/11 to confirm that the piles are gone and to determine if any further erosion controls are needed either in the pond edge or up on the embankment.
8:15pm - DISCUSSION – aquatic weed management on Upper Mystic Lake
Dr. Braun briefly outlined the current year’s proposed work to treat aquatic weeds with two herbicides (Aquathol K and Reward) in May of this year. The hand pulling of water lilies in the past, has been very successful as they have not yet returned. The herbicide application work is going to be conducted by Gerry Smith of Aquatic Control Technology in concurrence with his treatment of the upper bay of the Lake in Winchester, as in the past 8 years. The permit for this work will expire in 2006. The Commission directed Dr. Braun to file a new Notice of Intent for continuation of the program. Mr. Steven suggested that the new pond management guidelines be considered in the application.
8:45pm - REVISION OF BYLAW REGULATIONS –
Mr. Stevens worked diligently to compose the final revision of the regulations and the Commission reviewed the final copy.
White/Sullivan motioned to approve the regulations as drafted and revised; motion passed unanimously.
OTHER COMMISSION BUSINESS-
Enforcements:
335 Mystic St – Mr. Stevens sent a letter of warning on 3/23/05 to the owners to comply or else the board would issue an Enforcement Order in order to receive a planting plan. The letter was unanswered, so Ms. Beckwith issued the Enforcement on 4/1/05. The owners received that and then phoned on 4/4/05 the Commission’s office to explain that snow had covered the steep slope down to the water until just recently and his landscaper had been unable to walk the area to draw up the plans.
He agreed to submit plans by 4/25/05 in order that they be presented to the Commission on 4/28. Ms. Beckwith gave the Enforcement to the Commission for ratification. White/Garnett motioned to ratify the Enforcement Order; motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Stevens directed Ms. Beckwith to issue a new Enforcement with the revised deadline and to clarify that the deadline for planting of 5/19/05 is still in effect. O’Rourke/Reed motioned to ratify the revised Enforcement Order; motion passed unanimously.
Dudley St – Ms. Beckwith received a phone call from a resident of the Mill Brook condos that one of the businesses on Dudley St had dumped their sand sweepings from their parking lot over the chain link fence onto the embankment of Mill Brook. It is unclear which property/business is doing this, so a site visit is required.
17 Mill St – the property is also sweeping sand down the embankment next to Mill Brook. Mr. Stevens and Ms. Garnett will coordinate to communicate with the property manager.
22 Nourse St – Ms. Garnett reported that she thought that this property was up for sale. Mr. Stevens asked if we had proof of the permit recording. Ms. Beckwith responded that she would have to check the file to confirm this.
The Commission voted to convene at approximately 9:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Corinna Beckwith
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