Open Space, Natural Resources, and Trails Committee

Amesbury OSNRTC - Meeting Minutes January 30, 2020 Amesbury Open Space, Natural Resources & Trails Committee (OSNRTC) Meeting January 30, 2020 -- Amesbury City Hall -- 7PM Attendees Committee members - Jonathan Sherwood, Pascal Rettig, Rick Hucksam, Nick Wheeler, Adrienne Lennon. Absent: Alina Michelewicz, Vanessa Johnson-Hall Also present: Michael Jewell (Conservation Commission), Tom Borrasso (Energy and Environment Director) Meeting Minutes ● Approved November 21, 2019 meeting minutes (Wheeler moved, Hucksam seconded; unanimous) Discussion ● 2020 OSNRTC Meeting Calendar was reviewed; the following 2020 dates were approved, for forwarding to the City Clerk (Wheeler moved, Rettig seconded; unanimous) o January 30, 2020 o February 26, 2020 o March 25, 2020 o April 22, 2020 o May 27, 2020 o June 24, 2020 o July 22, 2020 o August 26, 2020 o October 28, 2020 o November, 2020: To Be Determined o December, 2020: To Be Determined ● Committee Organization for 2020. Motion made by Wheeler and seconded by Rettig for the following organization for 2020: Sherwood (Chair), Hucksam (Vice-chair), Johnson-Hall (Secretary). Unanimous ● Open Space and Recreation Plan Update o Municipal Vulnerability Grant update ▪ Sherwood updated the Committee on the November 2019 application for MVP funds to update Amesbury’s Open Space and Recreation Plan. The City was notified in January that it had tentatively been awarded MVP funds for this purpose but not at the full amount requested. Sherwood participated on a 1/22/20 call with Tom Borrasso and John Lopez from the City and a grant- making representative from the Commonwealth. Amesbury was requested to re-submit a revised proposal, to bring it in line with the revised funding amount. This re-submission was in process at the time of this meeting. ▪ The City will be working with an existing City contractor - BSC Group - for the OSR update. BSC requested that, in order to reduce costs, OSNRTC would take on expanded responsibilities on this project: ● Produce meeting minutes for joint OSNRTC-BSC meetings ● Manage, staff, and document 1 of the 2 planned public forums 1  Amesbury OSNRTC - Meeting Minutes January 30, 2020 ● Produce the ADA Assessment section of the OSR plan ▪ Wheeler moved and Rettig seconded motion to approve to commit OSNRTC to providing this support to the OSR Plan update. Unanimous. ▪ Reviewed overall process and timeline, including need to produce final report by the end of June, 2020, when the MVP grant terminates. Members were encouraged to review the survey results, as well as the 2019 MVP report, posted on the City’s website [https://www.amesburyma.gov/energy-environmental- affairs/pages/amesbury-mvp-reports] ▪ In interim before planned February kick-off meeting between OSNRTC, BSC and City staff, Sherwood will participate in a planned organization call with BSC and City staff, in order to establish basic project logistics (such as information sharing), first steps, and to schedule a first Public Forum for March 2020. o Online Public Survey ▪ Sherwood noted that Rettig had formatted the 2019 online survey results for anonymized presentation and that Sherwood had shared the results through the Committee’s Facebook page. o Alliance Park - Impact of Sale of Larry’s Marina ▪ Hucksam discussed the recent sale of Larry’s Marina (adjacent to Alliance Park, on the Merrimack River). News coverage indicated plans to develop for restaurant, hotel, and marina use. Concern was expressed for impact on the mouth of the Powow River, the adjacent Alliance Park, and the adjacent public boat launch. Is the launch an easement on marina property? Owned by the City or Commonwealth? Hucksam will monitor the project; no action required at this time. o Carriagetown Rail Connector ▪ Sherwood presented updated map and plans for the potential final connection between the existing Riverwalk rail trail and the new Ghost Trail extension under I-95 that terminates at Elm St. Sherwood recently met with Jerry Klima (Salisbury) from Coastal Trails. Coastal Trails has been communicating with Mayor Gove and Rob Desmarais (Dept. of Public Works) regarding planning and funding for this final connector, as well as what the connection options might be through the built out Carriagetown plaza and adjacent developed properties. Coastal Trails has granted the City funds to hire a consultant to do preliminary design work on options, in order to make the project eligible for MA DOT funds in the future. OSNRTC will continue to monitor this project; Coastal Trails and the City may need support with evaluating options. No action required at this time. o Finish technical clean-up of OS inventory list from 2019 MVPC update - ran out of time to discuss. No action. o New Product - Parcel List of Conservation Commission properties - ran out of time to discuss. No action. Adjorn: 9:00 PM Minutes prepared by Jonathan Sherwood and approved on 2/26/2020 2