Open Space, Natural Resources, and Trails Committee

Amesbury Open Space, Natural Resources, and Trails Committee By City Clerk at 4:10 pm, Sep 01, 2022 MEETING MINUTES July 27, 7:00 p.m. This meeting was conducted under the "Executive Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c. 30A, Section 20, signed on March 12, 2020. Present: J. Sherwood, Chair, V. Johnson-Hall, R. Hucksam, P. Frey, J. Lopez, Amesbury Conservation Agent Guest: Nick Wheeler. 1. Call to Order 7:02pm 2. Minutes from June 22, 2022 meeting: Move to approve with date corrected: R. Hucksam 2nd P. Frey. Unanimously approved. 3. Public Comment: N/A 4. Communications • 2 emails from Mayor Gove re: Native Plants and Pollinator Gardens – Wellesley Healthy Gardens initiative and offer from consultant for free presentation on creating pollinator habitat. Cons Comm only approves plants on the native plant list. Native plant list could be shared with Planning Board. V. Johnson-Hall noted that invasive plant list used by Commonwealth is out of date; Federal list is more up-to-date. Typically when project is undergoing review Commission looks at how site will benefitted in additional to construction. Sometimes applicants will propose invasive species eradication. Before project is closed applicant must demonstrate that they have adhered to invasive species eradication plan (2-year monitoring requirement). Perpetuity requirement to keep invasive plants removed is not monitored. Cons Comm doesn’t have invasive plant list. V. Johnson-Hall is interested in putting together a public presentation on the benefit of planting pollinator-friendly plants and getting away from lawns. Can work on organizing in the fall. Will follow up with consultant to explore presentation. Could co-sponsor the talk with Lake Attitash Association and Lakes & Waterways Committee. V. Johnson-Hall offered to work on organizing a talk to take place in the winter. 5. Chair's Report: J. Sherwood was invited to participate in lower & upper Millyard discussion about use of the space. Upper – most of focus on public events and interest in area businesses / restaurants better utilizing space. Recommended having signage connected with trail in Lower Millyard to better connect two and raise awareness of connectivity. Lower – There is new Coastal Trail signage for rail trail, so more of an attempt to bring trail into downtown. J. Sherwood mentioned recreational access to river. Discussion was also focused on events. Referrals: Motion to continue the following three items to the August 24th OSNRT meeting. Moved V. Johnson-Hall 2nd R. Hucksam. Unanimously approved. P. Rettig emailed that Planning Board discussed this. There seems to be no indication on mechanism for permanent protection. PB decision required permanent protection. Timing issue – City has not yet accepted Locke Hill Lane as public way. There are retention basins in the open space so no way for City to access until City also accepts street. PB held off making recommendation to Council until following meeting. V. Johnson-Hall mentioned that deed should reference protection of land under Article 97 of the Mass Constitution.  Recommendation is that the City Council accept the Quitclaim Deed for Open Space at the Locke Hill Lane Subdivision, provided that the Order specifies that that land is being accepted for conservation purposes under Article 97 of the Amendments to the Mass Constitution, and that said land is to be managed under the care, custody and control of the Cons Comm. The Deed into the City also include this same language. • 2022-085 An Order to approve the acceptance of the Conservation Commission of a Quitclaim Deed for Open Space at the Locke Hill Lane Subdivision • 2022-086 An Ordinance to amend the Amesbury Zoning Ordinance to allow restaurant use at marina facilities in the City of Amesbury • 2022-087 An Order to authorize the Mayor to surplus, procure a development proposal, and sell the properties 58 Cynthia Road and 63 Cynthia Lane 6. Ongoing Projects • Required Protected Land Criteria (Rettig + Johnson-Hall) – Move to continue to August meeting: V. Johnson-Hall; 2nd – P. Frey. Unanimously approved. • Native Plant List letter for AES Building Committee – Based on additional feedback from Carol Decker from West Newbury Wild & Native on invasives included on proposed planting list. J. Sherwood to transmit letter upon approval. P. Frey moves to transmit letter to AES Building Committee – P. Frey. 2nd – R. Hucksam. Unanimously approved. • Land Management and Planning – Documentation (Sherwood): No update. • 2020-27 OSR Plan – NEW EOEEA Conditional Approval – BSC will be contributing additional information required by OSRP. 7. Other Business • 116 Whitehall Road Clearing/Mowing Proposal (Sherwood): Land was acquired by City several years ago. Under Mayor Gove land was designated as conservation land under Article 97. Land was historically hayed and kept open. It has started growing in with invasives such as Autumn Olive as there has been no mowing since was purchased by the City. Also invasive plants – multiflora rose, bittersweet - are infesting boundaries. Ken Aspeslagh consulted with Greenbelt Director of Stewardship as to what would be needed to maintain it as a meadow. Result is a two-fold proposal: create plan for mowing the property on a regular basis and, to enable that, to organize volunteers to remove trees. o Anything close to wetlands has to have RDA submitted to Cons Comm. OR submit NOI to have maintenance planned approved indefinitely. Anything within 100’ of wetlands is under jurisdiction. Could use expired wetlands delineation as a guide to avoid wetlands. RDA is simple – streamlined process. Need good operations & maintenance plan. Mowing could go within 25’ of wetlands and with waiver could go up to edge of wetlands. Include mowing timeframe to mirror grassland nesting schedule, i.e. no mowing until after August 15th. o V. Johnson-Hall would like to include fields across from Cynthia Lane in proposal. V. Johnson-Hall has seen Bobolinks nesting there, and there are a number of trees, including Autumn Olive, growing in the field, along with other invasives that are a threat to its viability for threatened grassland-nesting birds. 8. Motion to Adjourn 8:33: P. Frey; 2nd V. Johnson-Hall. Unanimously approved.