Town of Arlington, MA - Conservation Commission Minutes 01/05/2012 Page 1 of 2 Conservation Commission Minutes 01/05/2012 Arlington Conservation Commission Minutes January 5, 2012 Mr. Stevens called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the Town Hall Annex. Present were Nathaniel Stevens, Chris Naylor, Curt Connors, David White, Charles Tirone, Michelle Durocher and Eileen Coleman of the Commission. Catherine Garnett of the Commission did not attend. Mr. Connors confirmed that we had a quorum and left due to a family commitment. 7:45 pm – Commission Business Naylor/Tirone motioned to approve the 12/15 and 11/17 minutes as edited; motion passed unanimously. Ms. Beckwith reported that the DPW Director reported that the debris pile from the October storms at the Arlington Reservoir parking lot had been removed and the pathway had been repaired. Mr. White clarified that there is more path repairs needed past the entry point for the waterchestnut removal project. Also the erosion controls were still in place at the parking lot. Mr. White will go to the Reservoir again to inspect. Fill has been placed at the eroded shoreline area but the area has not been stabilized. Mr. Stevens reported that the Spy Pond Committee discussed the Waterbodies Fund and the projected needs for the multiple waterbodies in town. It was concluded that upwards of $50K would be needed over the next two calendar years. The Spy Pond Committee discussed alternatively funding some of this work through the DPW budget. White/Tirone motioned to endorse the habitat baseline report for Elizabeth Island composed by Audubon; motion passed unanimously. Mr. Stevens abstained from discussion and voting on this matter. The Walking Book subcommittee met on 12/28 to review an online tool for the book. Ms. Beckwith reported on a site walk on 12/9 to the wetland behind homes along Summer and Summit Sts. The town issued a permit in 2006 for work on the outlet drain from this area. A tenant on Summit St has submitted a complaint about flooding of the yard and basement that is requiring pumping. Mr. Chouinard and Ms. Beckwith observed that the structure was open and flowing so that the water elevation should recede. Its not clear what other actions may be taken to alleviate the problems. Mr. Naylor had a few suggestions for the trash rack and maybe a headwall would function more effectively. Mr. Chouinard is looking into controlling street stormwater runoff from Orient Ave which lies uphill from the wetland. Mr. White reported that Arlington Coal and Lumber had done work without at a permit to the embankment of Mill Brook and may have extended downstream. He had sent photos. They removed stone blocks and then replaced them, maybe on a different alignment. He also might have observed turbidity downstream at Golds Gym. The board directed Ms. Beckwith to call the property manager and ask him to come speak to the board about this matter. Ms. Beckwith outlined an issue with the work at Discovery Park in Cambridge. A tiny corner (20-30 feet) of this property is within Arlington. The new FEMA floodplain and floodway has meant that the project is now required to file for a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) for small changes to the floodway and it has been forwarded to Arlington for comment or endorsement. The DPW Director, Mike Rademacher, and Anne Thompson, an Arlington resident, who lives in the floodplain, are asking if the Conservation Commission would have a meeting or hearing to review this matter. The Conservation Commission agreed that this matter is important to the interests of the Town and its natural resources and would ask if the consultant who drafted the CLOMR could come to the next meeting on 1/19. Mr. Rademacher is looking into this. The board did not agree to review projects that are entirely within another town, such as the project at the old Faces http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_ConCommMinutes/2012/... 11/15/2013 Town of Arlington, MA - Conservation Commission Minutes 01/05/2012 Page 2 of 2 nightclub. Meeting adjourned at 9pm. Respectfully submitted, Corinna Beckwith Commission Administrator http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_ConCommMinutes/2012/... 11/15/2013