Conservation Commission

8/1/2018 8/1/2018 - Minutes 8/1/2018 - Minutes 1. Call To Order Chairman D. Anson calls the meeting to order at 6:10 PM. Members present: Chairman D. Anson, Vice Chair D. Williams L. Morin, D. Christopher, M. Foote Members absent: M. Schulz There are no alternates. Staff/recording clerk: Evan Rathburn Guests: Richard Homsi. There is no one in the audience. 2. Pledge Of Allegiance/Handicap Exits/Silence Cell Phones 3. Establish A Quorum A quorum was established with the members present. 4. Review Of The Previous Meeting's Minutes M. Foote makes a motion to accept the 7.18.2018 meeting minutes as amended. D. Williams seconds. All in favor. The motion passed. 5. New Business 5.I. PPL2018-0075CUP - Woodvale Drive MBL 166-357-4 Woodvale Drive Mr. Homsi begins his presentation of why he is applying for his wetland CUP for Woodvale Drive. He wishes to fill in the lot on Woodvale Dr. and bring the lot to grade and add drainage and retaining walls to the site. The CUP is being applied for so that Mr. Homsi can fill in 10 ft. from the wetlands on the properties. The right side of the property will be the location of the drainage pipe and retaining walls. The other side of the lot will use natural stones for a retaining wall. Eventually Mr. Homsi will apply for permits for dredging and filling the wetlands on the right side of the lot and creating a pond for wildlife and “beautify” the property. He may also down the line be building a garage with living space above the garage on Lot 4 and clear a path through the vegetation on Lot 5 to create an entrance for the garage. There will be no earth work done to create the entrance according to the applicant, only brush clearing. The path will be a L shape. Dean Anson asks whether it will be a driveway or not. Mr. Homsi says that it will be a walkway now and eventually may become a driveway. He will block off the current entrance when the other entrance. D. Williams expresses concern over what will need to be done to make the area where the path will be to be drivable. D. Anson asks that when the delineation of the wetlands was done did Mr. Homsi do only Lot 4 and Mr. Homsi says it was done only on Lot 4 on the left side only. The right side has not been delineated. Mr. Homsi voices that he will try in the future to buy 394 Endicott Street East, which also abuts the wetlands on the left of his property. D. Anson https://www.laconianh.gov/AgendaCenter/GenerateMinutesFile?id=596&agendaID=7441/2 6/28/2018 8/1/2018 - Minutes  expresses concern about the wetlands flagging that has been currently done. Mr. Homsi says that he has not flagged the right-side wetlands on Lot 4 because they will not be going near the buffer on Lot 5 when they do work over there. D. Christopher voices questions about what will be done for drainage on the site since the water will go somewhere. Mr. Homsi says that the lot currently infiltrates water that falls on it and he would like to have it keep doing that by putting gravel on the surface of the lot. M. Foote asks whether the rip rap will be on the downhill side or uphill side of the retaining wall. Mr. Homsi states that he would like to put on the entire site. M. Foote asks whether the retaining wall will fall down straight to the wetlands and Mr. Homsi says that it will. M. Foote asks whether there will be any drainage for the water when it infiltrates and hits the wall. Mr. Homsi says that if the commission wants him to then he will add a perforated pipe to disperse the water out of the property. Mr. Homsi says that there is a manmade swale on the property and that his surveyor, Brian Bailey, says that it was dug wrong. The drainage pipe from the retaining wall down to the swale which has never functioned properly, add rip rap, and have the water outfall there from the retaining wall. D. Anson asks who did the buffer/final condition drawings in their packets and Mr. Homsi states that he has done them himself. A surveyor has not created and stamped the plans. D. Anson says that the flagging that was done on site for the wetlands (that were flagged) was confusing to him. He also says that they do not have all the information they need. They will need the wetlands flagged (all of them) and the buffer edge that is proposed also flagged. D. Anson explains that unless they have sufficient information, they cannot accurately give recommendations/comments. Mr. Homsi says that he will take driveway flags from the store and go out and measure the buffer edge himself. The commission says that a surveyor should go and do that, not the applicant. D. Anson then reinforces that the commission only makes recommendations and that Planning Board is the one who makes the decision on whether the CUP is approved. The commission believes that the planning board will accept the current drawings as accurate. They recommend that the applicant go back to Mr. Bailey and scale up the map for the lot with the existing conditions and the survey of the 10 ft. markers and resubmit that to the department. The commission also recommends submitting a written description of what will be done to both lots since they have been merged into one lot. They also recommend having ALL wetlands delineated for the Planning Board and have them marked in the field and on the plan along with the buffers and edge of the proposed buffer that will be resubmitted. The commission asks Technician Rathburn whether the applicant will need another CUP to build a garage with living space above. Technician Rathburn answers yes, they will need another CUP to build anything additional to tonight’s presentation. The commission then moves onto structuring a motion. M. Foote makes a motion to accept the wetland CUP application for Woodvale Drive, 0075 CUP, with comments and recommendations as stated by M. Foote: Please submit to the Planning Department plans from a professional surveyor of the 45 Woodvale Property with topographic lines denoted on the plans. The plans should contain the two newly combined lots into one lot with both represented on the plans, existing topographical conditions, proposed final grade plan, location of all wetlands, location of the 50 ft. buffer, location of the 10 ft proposed buffer. Submit a clear and precise verbal description of all work to be done at the property and submit it to the Laconia Planning Department. D. Williams seconds. All in favor. The motion passes. https://www.laconianh.gov/AgendaCenter/GenerateMinutesFile?id=596&agendaID=7441/2 6/28/2018 8/1/2018 - Minutes  5.II Water Rate Increase The commission begins discussion about the water rate increase the Laconia Water Department has implemented. M. Foote states that this is not something that the Water Department just woke up one morning and decided to implement. They have been building to this ever since the amount of water they have been selling has gone down. L. Morin states that this might be a good opportunity for outreach to the community. The commission then discusses ways that they can spread education and outreach. The farmers market and sidewalk day are the best opportunities. The commission asks Technician Rathburn to contact Nancy Brown in the City Managers department to get a list of contacts for events around the city. 6. Old Business 6.I. Granite United Way Day Of Caring The commission discusses various projects that could be part of the GUWDOC effort. Two projects that are floated are clean up of the Anthony Drive drainage area, WoW trail clean up and stenciling “Drains to Lakes” warning on storm drains for DPW. Technician Rathburn will start setting up opportunities on the GUWDOC website for people to volunteer for. 6.II. FLAP Grant The commission discusses more ideas for the FLAP Grant that was brought to the commission’s attention. The commission will send any additional ideas that they have for the grant to Technician Rathburn so he can compile a list and Tech. Rathburn will also put out an advertisement for the public to submit ideas to t the commission for future projects. 7. Liaison And Subcommittee Reports The commission reviews a NHDES Wetland PBN for Eastman Shore Road 293-283-3. The chairman signs it with no comments from the commission. The commission would like for Tech. Rathburn to inform the applicant when they come in to collect the permits that there is an intermittent stream buffer in effect now and an intermittent stream runs through the property. 8. Other Business/Staff Report None. 9. Adjournment M. Foote makes a motion to adjourn at 8:00 PM. D. Williams seconds. All in favor. The motion passed. 10. Non-Public Session (According To RSA 91-A:3, II) https://www.laconianh.gov/AgendaCenter/GenerateMinutesFile?id=596&agendaID=7441/2 6/28/2018 8/1/2018 - Minutes