Conservation Commission

Laconia Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes May 8th, 2019 6:00 PM Armand A. Bolduc Council Chambers City Hall, 45 Beacon Street East 5/8/2019 - Minutes 1. Call To Order Chairman Dean Anson calls the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. Members Present: Chairman Dean Anson, Marnie Schulz, Lisa Morin, Richard Christopher, Wesley Bates and Michael Foote. Planning Staff: Evan Rathburn Deborah Woods is absent. There are 3 guests: Mark Condodemtraky, Geoff Grey, and Amy Lovisek There is no one in the audience. Wesley Bates arrives at 6:10 PM. 2. Review Of The Previous Meeting's Minutes L. Morin makes a motion to accept the minutes of 4/24/2019 as corrected. M. Foote seconds the motion. All in favor. The motion passes. 3. New Business 3.I. PL2019-0029SP, 0070CUP(Wetland) 33 Lexington Drive M. Condodemtraky and G. Grey begins their presentation for 33 Lexington Drive to create a facility for multiple business units with the primary one being a dumpster business. L. Morin asks what the drainage for the site is currently. M. Condodemtraky says that the drainage on the site will not be altered since they do not wish to install new drainage. L. Morin also asks whether the drainage from the roof could be diverted to water the landscaping on the site. M. Condodemtraky says that they do not wish to do anything that could alter where drainage goes. The commission also says that since they are using gravel for the storage area, they are making it more impervious but this can be negated by proper maintenance. R. Christopher asks about orientation on the map for the site and where it is in real life. G. Grey explains where the site is and how to look at the submitted plans. R. Christopher also has questions about what will be done for drainage in case of an oil spill in the dumpster business’s maintenance area for its vehicles. G. Grey explains that the inside of the building where maintenance takes place will be self-contained and there will be spill kits in case of an oil spill.  D. Anson asks about the gravel path in the front of the property. G. Grey explains that the business next door has been using it and is aware that it will be taken out when the project gets approved. The commission has some concerns about loose trash blowing out from the dumpsters stored on the property and whether they will hold hazardous waste or not. G. Grey says that no garbage will be left over in the dumpsters and that they do not deal in any liquids or hazardous materials. The dumpsters will leave the yard empty and will return empty. E. Rathburn gives his staff report about the site and his site visit that took place previously. The site is mostly level until the back where it dips down. The ground is covered with organic materials such as vegetation and dirt and the applicant is going to scrape off that layer. The applicant is asking for a wetland CUP for this project from the department due to the face that some of the minor "grading" will take place in the wetland buffer located in the back. The wetland in the back is protected by a berm from the previous development of the site and other sites. The applicant has also been to TRC and has agreed on some improvements to the plans and site requested by E. Rathburn in relation to improving drainage. M. Schulz makes a motion to support the wetland CUP for 33 Lexington Avenue with the following recommendations: - Recommend all invasive species on site be dealt with in the appropriate manner (disposed of at the brush dump). - Recommend that the drainage going off the site should not increase from what it currently is. - Recommend having a plantings list for plantings to augment the vegetation in the wetland buffer area submitted to the Laconia Planning Department - Recommend that the snow storage is moved out of the 50 -foot wetland buffer. - Recommend that the gravel area of the lot will not be paved. - Recommend that no full dumpster containers for the dumpster business are to be stored on the site L. Morin seconds the motion. All in favor. The motion passes. 4. Old Business 4.I. Conservation Commission Conservation Easement Walks There is discussion about who will be performing Conservation Easement walks this coming Spring/Summer/Fall. W. Bates would like to participate in a walk. D. Anson says that the newly acquired Pickerel Pond property that the City has will be a great place to do a future easement walk. He will go with W. Bates. L. Morin says that she will do Eager Island. M. Foote would also like to participate in walks if anyone needs a partner. 4.II. Perley Pond Improvement Project A. Lovisek gives a brief update on what has gone on since she last met with the commission. E. Rathburn has been to the site and discussed with State employees from Forest and Lands Department. Corey Keefe from F&L will take pictures of the tree but will not be able to Photoshop limbs off the tree  to see what it would look like with limbs trimmed. The commission and A. Lovisek brainstorm ideas of improving the tree and property. Some ideas include taking the trimmings from the trees and reusing them for art. Another idea that was discussed was ways to clean up the back end of the park and creating an area where people can sit and enjoy a lunch and rest. The commission would also like to look into finding seedlings and propagating the oak's offspring. The commission also debates whether it is worth holding onto the property. There is also discussion about the public's use of the park and the trash that is left on the property. Discussion switches to the drainage for the pond. D. Anson thinks it would be a good idea to augment the current drain that is the outflow for the pond. The pipe would give a greater threshold for drainage and will help keep the pond boundaries in check. The commission and A. Lovisek both agree that before any actions are taken, they should ask questions of the F&L Department of the value of keeping the tree and what other actions they could take to improve the tree and property and whether they can propagate offspring. 5. General Business D. Christopher has done some research into the owner of the property that the WOW Trail is considering partnering with the City of Laconia to acquire a recreation easement from. There is some discussion about the proposition. D. Anson states that the NRI was last updated in 2009 and would like to do research into whether the commission should update it or not at the moment. 6. Liaison And Subcommittee Reports E. Rathburn has forms for NH Lakes for the Chairman to sign in relation to Lake Hosts program. E. Rathburn also asks which members would like to go to the Lakes Congress in Meredith. The members will respond by noon on Friday, 5/10 on whether they will go and E. Rathburn will sign them up. 7. New Hampshire Department Of Environmental Services Applications 738 Weirs Boulevard The commission reviewed the Wetlands PBN for 738 Weirs Boulevard #37 and has no comments. The Chairman signed the application. 257 Weirs Boulevard: The commission reviewed the Wetlands PBN for 257 Weirs Boulevard and has no comments. The Chairman signed the application. 8. Staff Report There is no staff report at this time. 9. Adjournment R. Christopher makes a motion to adjourn at 8:00 PM. M. Schulz seconds. All in favor. The motion passes.  The meeting is adjourned. 10. Non-Public Session (According To RSA 91-A:3, II)