PEPPERELL CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Minutes – July 21, 2009

The Pepperell Conservation Commission (PCC) held a regularly scheduled meeting under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, MGL Ch. 131, §40 and the Pepperell Wetlands Protection By-Law.  The meeting was held in the Town Hall at 7:00 p.m.

Members present:  Elliott presiding, Moody, Rand, Rice, and Sauer; members absent: Masterson and Steeves.

Since the previous meeting, Tzanoudakis had resigned, and the Selectmen had appointed Kristina Masterson to finish her term.

Fisher reported that the Town Accountant had said that Rand could not be paid for his mowing expenses since he is a Commission member.

Lawn Tailors, Integrated Landscape Management, had submitted a revised proposal for the removal of woody invasives in the new field in the Heald Street Orchard.  Instead of their original not-to-exceed total of $17,826 for two years, they proposed $14,549 for two years.  On a motion from Elliott, seconded by Rand, all

VOTED: to accept the proposal.

7:10 p.m. Continued Public Hearing re Notice of Intent filed by Tracie G. Ezzio of Pepperell Pharmacy, Inc. for expansion of existing building and parking area at 74 Main Street

Jack Visniewski, Dick Egan, and Tracie Ezzio attended the hearing.  Visniewski began his presentation by showing a rendering of the front façade of the proposed building with the addition.  Visniewski reported that Fisher had discussed definitions for degraded area, restoration, and mitigation for Riverfront Redevelopment projects with Joe Bellino of DEP again.  Bellino had said that changing lawn to natural vegetation was not restoration (since lawn is not degraded area) and that adding stormwater treatment to existing impervious surfaces that did not have it was not mitigation (since stormwater treatment had to be added anyway in redevelopment).  Bellino had suggested that this project was not really redevelopment, but rather fell under 310 CMR 10.58(4)(d)4, a commercial structure where the size and shape of the lot prevents the construction from meeting all the performance standards.  Elliott said that he thought the project was kind of both redevelopment and new work.  He asked Visniewski for the square feet of degraded and impervious areas.

Visniewski distributed a revised table showing the areas of existing and proposed impervious and pervious areas.  He said that he had not counted the roof overhang as impervious since it was so wide and had pervious area beneath it.  He said that the proposed plan shows all the parking areas are to be pervious, either paving blocks or pervious asphalt paving, resulting in a decrease in the amount of impervious surface on the lot so that the total impervious would be less than 5000 square feet after the project is complete.  Visniewski said that the only new work that would be impervious was the addition itself and the extension of the walkway.  Elliott suggested that the walkway could also be pervious paving.  Visniewski agreed that it could be, and said that it could be easier to make that surface the same as the porous asphalt since the equipment for constructing the driveway would be on site anyway.

Visniewski continued with a description of the changes to the stormwater system that were possible because of the porous paving.  Instead of 2 detention basins, he had added strip drains along the low side of the parking lot to drain into a series of underground chambers with an emergency overflow in the west corner of the lot.  Elliott said that the parking lot drain would likely collect debris so he suggested that a feature with a sump be added for clean-out.  Visniewski said that he could add that, but that the water going into the drain was only from the parking lot.  He pointed out a berm along the street that excluded the street drainage from sheeting into the parking area.

In the west corner of the lot Visniewski had also included a restoration area of native-type vegetation to be established with grass and forbs seed mixes and woody shrubs.  Rice asked about the details of these plantings.  Visniewski said that he had specified mixes from New England Wetland Plants.  Rice cautioned that some of those mixes contain rare species and asked that those not be included. 

Moody asked about runoff from the deep valleys in the roofline.  Visniewski pointed out the yard drain connected to the underground chambers in the front and the stone riprap drip edge proposed for the back of the building.  Moody asked if the runoff from the valleys was causing any damage in the existing conditions.  Visniewski said that the back north corner had an eroded area where he was suggesting riprap, but there was no visible damage in the front on that side.

Moody asked about details of the porous paving.  Visniewski submitted a description produced by the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center specifically for cold climates such as ours.  He said that the paving itself had to be installed over layers of pervious material that were a part of the entire system. Elliott said that UNH says that this porous paving actually works better in winter than in summer since the voids increase in size as the temperature decreases.  Visniewski said that vacuum sweeping was recommended for maintenance of the paving. Moody commended the applicant for proposing the use of this system of porous paving.

Fisher read a comment from the Planning Board.  The Board had asked that any vegetation planted in the area next to Main Street be low and spreading for aesthetics and safety reasons.  Elliott said that he did not see a need for any restoration planting in that area and that lawn, as the area is now, would be fine.  Rice and Rand agreed and said that the decisions about landscaping should be left to the owner.

Fisher asked about the O & M Manual.  Elliott said that the O & M Manual had to be part of the Order.  Visniewski said that he would be submitting revisions to the O & M plan along with revised plans for the project.  Elliott suggested an additional outlet from the chambers.  Visniewski agreed.  On a motion from Elliott, seconded by Rand, all

VOTED: to close the hearing and issue an Order of Conditions.

Fisher asked the Commissioners about several conditions to be included in the Order.  Since the site is completely in the Riverfront, she asked if the soil storage shown on the plan would be acceptable.  Visniewski pointed out that the revised plan shows the soil storage area, which is surrounded by an erosion control barrier, as far as possible from the stream and BVW.  The Commissioners had no objection to this soil storage plan. 

The Commissioners decided that the usual permanent condition that prohibited use of rock salt or de-icing chemicals on the driveway was acceptable since it did not address the walkways, which may require salting for safety. Visniewski said that the porous paving should not be salted anyway.

The Commissioners decided that concrete washout should be done only in the area which will become parking, and no maintenance of equipment or vehicles should occur on site.  Egan said that storage and fueling of equipment on site would be necessary.  The Commissioners agreed as long as it was done as far as possible from the wetland, which would be in proposed parking areas also.

7:30 p.m. Continued Public Hearing re Notice of Intent filed by Louis Berube of Shattuck Oil Company for replacement of fuel storage and containment structures and parking areas at 16 Groton Street

Visniewski requested that the hearing be continued until August 18, 2009 at 7:10 p.m.

Other Business

Since there were no appointments scheduled and since at least 3 Commissioners would be away, the Commission decided to cancel the August 4, 2009 meeting.

The Commissioners discussed the procedures for posting meeting agendas.  It was decided that Fisher should issue a preliminary agenda, listing all scheduled appointments just after the deadline date for Wetlands Protection Act filings, and later add Administrator Report topics, as possible, on a final agenda, issued on the Thursday before each meeting.

Upon a motion by Elliott, seconded by Rand, with Moody abstaining, it was

VOTED: to approve the minutes of July 7, 2009 as drafted.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

                                                                                    Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                    Ellen L. Fisher