At their May 14 meeting the Conservation Commission reviewed two wetland permit applications, discussed a new opening on the commission and met with the town’s newly hired Conservation Ranger.
The first wetland permit was submitted by the developers of Baldwin Senior Living at Woodmont Commons, a group hoping to get approval to build a large senior living facility. A dredge and fill application is submitted to the State Department of Environmental Services Wetland Bureau when a project will temporarily or permanently impact a wetland.
As part of their review process, they have the local Conservation Commission review the application and provide them feedback. In this case, the only wetland impact was a small one required to allow for a driveway into the development. Given that, the Commission did not provide any objections to the state Wetlands Bureau.
A second wetland permit for 77 & 83 Nashua Road was reviewed by the Commission. This developer hopes to put two buildings on the site, one with retail office space and one with 14 condominiums.
The proposed work would impact two wetlands. One of 5,100 square feet would be filled to allow for a driveway into the property. The Commission had no objection to this as it is needed to access the rest of the property.
The Commission did, however, have problems with a second 840 square foot impact resulting from a driveway that would encircle the retail building. They sent comments to the Wetland Bureau asking that the size of the building be reduced slightly to avoid the wetland.
Chair Marge Badois informed the Commission that alternate member Ray Brown had resigned from the Commission for personal reasons. The town will be posting the opening on the town website. In the meantime, the Commission will help get the word out on its email list and Facebook page.
In other personnel news, Glenn Aprile, the towns recently hired part-time Conservation Ranger, came to the meeting to introduce himself. Sergeant Aprile is retiring from full-time work with the LPD and will start in his new role July 1.
He has already started training for the job including attending easement monitoring and map and compass courses. Among his first areas of focus will be monitoring for illegal use of motorized vehicles in the Musquash Conservation Area.
Deb Lievens shared that she had reviewed come of the Commission’s budget line items with the town finance department. She learned that there is just under $94K in a fund intended to be used to maintain the rabbit habitats in the Musquash Conservation Area.
Some of the work in the past has been funded by outside grants; however, in the future if grants are not available this fund would be used to pay for such work. The money in this fund came from the sale of timber resulting from the creation of the rabbit cuts.
The Commission also reviewed a site plan for FL Larson Trucking who are looking to construct a facility at 47 Rockingham Road. With no wetlands on the site there was little to be reviewed. The Commission did note that the plan included constructing a building on top of an existing well. They sent along comment to the planning staff to ask that protections be put in place to prevent contaminants from getting into the well.
Member Mike Noone shared an update on the improvements happening at Kendall Pond Conservation Area. A viewing platform was recently finished to go along with two recently added picnic tables.
The Commission is planning a public event on June 22 to introduce all the changes to the public. While details are being worked out, they expect it to be a summer field day, like the Musquash Field Day held during the winter.