Inland Wetlands, Water Courses & Conservation Commission

Special Meeting Minutes June 6, 2019 CITY OF NORWICH INLAND WETLANDS, WATERCOURSES AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION Lower-level Conference Room 23 Union Street, Norwich, Connecticut A. CALL TO ORDER: Vice Chairman Douglas Lee called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. B. ROLL CALL and SEATING of ALTERNATES: Present: Douglas Lee, Vice Chairman Peter Chalecki Brandon Hyde Robert McCoy, Alternate Absent: Richard Morell, Chairman Art Sharron David Poore Michael Lahan, Alternate Also Present: Dan Daniska, Assistant City Planner, and Katherine Rose, Recording Secretary C. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES: Peter Chalecki put forth a motion to APPROVE the May 2, 2019 minutes as amended. Brandon Hyde seconded. The motion passed unanimously. D. COMMUNICATIONS: Dan Daniska stated there are plans to treat a pond at a residence located at 289 New London Turnpike which was done in April 2018 as well. The company doing the work emailed the Department to provide notification. Dan Daniska stated there’s also ongoing discussion with the State of Connecticut regarding a Norwich Public Utilities sewer interceptor project going over the 8th Street bridge to determine if it is something the Commission needs to hear or can regulate. Douglas Lee questioned if by statute an application is required. Dan Daniska responded they are waiting to hear back from the State to determine if the area is a tidally influenced watercourse and how to proceed regarding jurisdiction. Douglas Lee stated more could be discussed under Other Business. Dan Daniska reported there was recently a spill behind the South Mill at Ponemah Mills where people completing the Brownfield Assessment noticed an overturned bin that was determined to contain paving materials and notified DEEP. Dan Daniska added it is currently getting cleaned up. E. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None F. OLD BUSINESS: 1. IWWCC #19-08 – 115 West Town Street – Dime Bank. Application for Improvements to an existing Bank Branch and associated parking lot within 100ft. of Norwichtown Brook aka Hammer Brook. Application of Dime Bank. Property of Monique R. Polidoro, Trustee, Towne Park Medical Realty. Assessor’s Map 59, Block 1, Lot 23.  Tom Cummings of CLA Engineers, Main Street, Norwich introduced himself and explained the applicant Dime Bank leases the property and with their new long-term lease they are looking to upgrade the bank in a few different ways including a remote ATM, adding a dumpster pad, adding handicap accessibility to the front of the bank, pavement updates and more. Mr. Cummings explained Hammer Brook comes down from Bog Meadow and passes through but the wetland areas have been flagged where the on-site work would not actually be within the wetland area. Mr. Cummings explained they will be removing pavement to add more green space to overall have 100 square feet less of an impervious area than they have now. Mr. Cummings explained that due to the position of the building no other layout plan would work to achieve the upgrades they desire. Mr. Cummings stated with the work they will be adding a couple of catch basins with sump pumps and showed on the application map where there is a pipe that comes out into a grass area and runs to an inlet to a drainage system where their plan is to install a bio retention system with a check dam which will be an improvement to the current system. Douglas Lee questioned if the removal of pavement affects the topography of the site to cause an increase in flow in any substantial way to Hammer Brook. Mr. Cummings responded it would not and the pavement is actually being lowered about a couple tenths of a foot and there is a curb the entire way around. Peter Chalecki clarified that there are existing catch basins attached to Hammer Brook and that half the system will remain untouched. Mr. Cummings stated that is correct and they require a special permit because they are working within the floodplain. Mr. Cummings moved on to the floodplain portion of the application, pointing out on the maps the flood area and flow for the site. Mr. Cummings stated the building is currently at the 97 foot flood elevation and the floodplain is currently at 92 feet so they do not have flooding issues in the building, just on a portion of the site, so they received a letter from FEMA removing the building from the floodplain. Mr. Cummings explained as far as effects on the floodplain they will be primarily staying out of the floodway but the boundary encompasses a corner of the parking lot. Mr. Cummings states he believes the work will have no effect to the other areas as they are simply taking the parking lot, repaving it lower and increasing retention space. Brandon Hyde made a motion that the application does not require a public hearing as it is not a significant activity. Peter Chalecki seconded. The motion passed unanimously Brandon Hyde made a motion to APPROVE TO APPROVE IWWCC APPLICATION #19-08 with the following conditions: ● That the approval is valid for FIVE YEARS and will expire on 06/06/2024. ● That a bond, in an amount satisfactory to the City Engineer, be submitted for Erosion and Sediment Control and Site Restoration. ● That all site activities shall be conducted in accordance with the plans, specifications and documents of record. Any deviation from the approved plans or construction sequence shall be cause for enforcement action by the Inland Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission.  ● That the permittee shall notify the Inland Wetlands Agent prior to the commencement of work and upon its completion. ● That all work and all regulated activities conducted pursuant to this authorization shall be consistent with the terms and conditions of this approval. Any structures, excavation, fill, obstructions, encroachments or regulated activities not specifically identified and authorized herein shall constitute a violation of this approval and may result in its modification, suspension, or revocation. Upon initiation of the activities authorized herein, the permittee thereby accepts and agrees to comply with the terms and conditions of this approval. ● That no equipment or materials including without limitation fill, construction materials, or debris, shall be deposited, placed, or stored in any wetland or watercourse on or off site unless specifically authorized by this approval. ● That the General Provisions stated in Section 11.9 of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Regulations are applicable to this permit. ● That the permit shall not be assigned or transferred to another entity without the written permission of the Commission. ● That all erosion and sediment control measures shall be in accordance with the Connecticut Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment Control. Erosion and sediment control measures shall be installed and inspected prior to site disturbance. It is the permittee’s responsibility to schedule the inspection with the Norwich Planning Department. Additional erosion and sediment control measures shall be installed if determined to be necessary by the Designated Agent. The permittee shall take such necessary steps consistent with the terms and conditions of the approval, to control stormwater discharges and to prevent erosion and sedimentation and to otherwise prevent pollution of wetlands and watercourses. ● That this permit will be strictly enforced. The Commission may suspend or revoke this permit, may direct the Commission’s Agent to issue a cease and desist order or may require the applicant to modify, extend, or revise the site work or restore the area to its original condition if it finds that the applicant has not complied with the conditions set forth in this approval or if the applicant exceeds the scope of this approval as set forth herein or if the intended use or actual use of the general site is not as represented by the application or the plan of record. ● The applicant should have the signatures of the Certified Soil Scientist and Land Surveyor added to the final plan. ● That final revised plans be submitted and reviewed by City Staff. Peter Chalecki seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Robert McCoy made a motion to make a favorable referral on the special floodplain application to the Commission on City Planning. Brandon Hyde seconded. The motion passed unanimously. H. OLD BUSINESS: 1. IWWCC #19-09 – 401 Scotland Road. Application for a Residential Home Addition within 100ft of Wetlands. Application of J.M. Wells Construction LLC of Norwich, CT. Property of Jonathan Woyasz. Assessor’s Map 29, Block 1, Lot 24. Dan Daniska explained that he brought this application forward because he had not heard back from the Chair or Vice Chair regarding how they wanted to have the application handled. Staff feel  that while the size of the addition is over the 625 foot guideline for the matter to be handled administratively but otherwise it is simply an addition to a home that is already in a wetland review area and the addition itself is farther away from the wetland area than the rest of the existing home. All things being considered, staff feel that the application can be handled administratively. Discussion ensued on whether or not the application should be added as new business for next month’s meeting. Brandon made a motion that the application be handled administratively. Robert McCoy seconded. The motion passed unanimously. H. OTHER BUSINESS: 1. Staff Report: 8th street project Bob Russo of CLA Engineers, Main Street, Norwich introduced himself and explained Norwich Public Utilities is planning to put an interceptor on the 8th Street Bridge that goes over the Shetucket River so himself and Deanna Rhodes have been working to determine if the project is under the jurisdiction of the Inlands, Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission. Bob Russo explained IWWCC does not have jurisdiction over a tidal resource which is what they are working to determine as everything to the foot of the dam DEEP has mapped as tidally influenced but there is still a question as to if there are any wetland resources that the IWWCC regulates over the mean high water line. Dan Daniska stated staff’s only position on the matter is to receive clarification from the state on IWWCC’s role and will proceed from there. 2. Upland Review Permits Issued. None. 3. Miscellaneous: None. I. ADJOURNMENT: Brandon Hyde made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:37PM. Peter Chalecki seconded. The motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Katherine Rose, Recording Secretary