Conservation Commission

Minutes of the Taunton Conservation Commission June 22, 2020 Present: ST, JR, DB, MI, RE, LF MH not present. Motion to approve the minutes of the May meeting, DB, second RE, so voted. Certificate of Compliance: 1. 85 Riverfield Road, Binda, (COC), SE73-2739 ​See field report. Present Mike Binda. Motion to issue a COC, DB, second JR, Roll Call- all voted yes. 2. 511 Richmond Street, Oliveira, (COC), SE73-2710 ​See field report. Motion to continue to the August meeting, RE, second DB, Roll Call- all voted yes. 3. 38 Thunder Road, Knief, (COC), SE73-73-2441 ​See field report. Motion to approve, DB, second MI, Roll Call- all voted yes. Public Meeting: 1. 76 Birchwood Drive, Capaldo, (RDA), DSE-1225 ​See field report. Present Dave Capaldo, homeowner. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 20-clean filter outside of the buffer zone, JR, second RE, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 2. 1162 Cohannet Street, Scoppettuolo, (RDA), DSE-1226 ​See field report. Present Mike Scoppettuolo, homeowner. DB will be voting no because no wetland delineation was done. MR said it is not always done with a pool, it is 56 feet away from the wetland. Mike Scoppettuolo said he does not see any issue here, they are staying far enough away from the wetlands. MI asked if the pool could be moved further away from the wetland? Homeowner said no, there is a hill there. MI asked pool size? 18 x 33. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1, 2, 20-cartridge filter, RE, second JR, Roll Call vote- DB and MI vote No, RE, JR, ST vote yes. Motion carries. 3. 75 Round Street, Anderson, (RDA), DSE-1227 ​See field report. Present Noreen Anderson, homeowner. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 20, JR, second RE, Roll Call vote- DB and MI vote No, RE, JR, ST vote yes. Motion carries. 4. 245 Steve Drive, Souza, (RDA), DSE-1228 ​See field report. Present Robert and Anne Souza, homeowners. DB how far from the wetlands? 52 feet. Will there be a deck? No. DB asked what kind of filter? Cartridge. Will they drain towards the wetlands? No. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1, 2, 3, 18, and 19, DB, second MI, Roll Call vote- All voted yes. 5. 38 Cara Circle, Gonsalves, (RDA), DSE-1229 ​See field report. Joe Gonsalves, homeowner. It is a 16 x 12 foot shed. ¾ inch rock will be put down for drainage and stability. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 18, and 19, JR, second RE, Roll Call vote- DB voted No, All others voted yes. Motion carries.  6. 87 Henry Road, Stempka, (RDA), DSE-1230 ​See field report. Present Brad Fitzgerald, Brenda Stempka, and Jeff Stempka. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 7, 8, 14, 18, and 19, DB, second MI, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 7. 137 Dunbar Street, Tavares Home Solutions, (RDA), DSE-1232 ​See field report. Present Joe Tavares and Brad Fitzgerald. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 7, 8, 14, 18, and 19, DB, second RE, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 8. 350 Revolutionary Drive, James Campbell, Co., Inc., (RDA), DSE-1233 ​See field report. Present Rich Riccio for the applicant. This is a vacant building, the prospective tenant wants to expand the parking lot by 25 spaces on the left side and 35 or so oversized spaces on the left side. This is over 75 feet from the wetland, erosion control is in and there is some proposed. The detention basin was already oversized, they will do some modifications to the outlet control structure. The contractor will clean out the basin at the time of construction. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 6, 14, 18, and 19, DB, second JR, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 9. 19 Thunder Road, Emond, (RDA), DSE-1234 ​See field report. Present Rebecca Emond, homeowner. This is for a pool and deck. Motion to issue a negative determination with special conditions 1-4, 18, and 19, DB, second RE, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. Continued Public Hearing: 1. Bassett Street (24-64 & 30-71), Bassett Street Development, (NOI), SE73-2841 Request for a continuance. Motion to continue to July 20, 2020, DB, second RE, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. (LF on) Public Hearing: 1. 60 Hodges Ave., Comm. of MA DMH, (NOI), SE73-2854 ​See field report. Present Eric Ford and Nick Nelson. This is being done to treat invasive plants, they will replant the areas that didn’t do well, and stabilize in areas that need it. The planting will begin in the fall. DB will all the branches grow? Some may grow and sprout. RE we have heard all the positives of doing this but what about the negative impacts? What is the negative? Herbicide will be used as treatment in this zone. The positive outweighs the negative in this instance. The invasive species need to be removed. MR does not have anything to ask or to bring up as far as this is concerned. It has never come up before. ST would like to revisit this next month. He would like to see some research done on how this affects the water and species there and what they can do to provide protection. He would like to have MR do some research on this too. Eric said they have no experience with this type of reporting but they will look into it and see what they can come up with. ST would like to see monthly testing so we can see that no harm is being done. Motion to continue to July 20, 2020, DB, second RE, Roll Call vote- All voted yes.  2. Winthrop Street (101-6 & 31), Jane L. Terra Trust, (NOI), SE73- ​See field report. MR stated this has no DEP number and it is an NOI. ST asked about the 1:1, can that be addressed? Tallman said has been looking at that and could get it to a 2:1. ST asked who will maintain the culvert? There will be a homeowner’s association and they will be responsible for it. LF asked why the TCC was even hearing this without a DEP number. It is a waste of time to hear something that they can’t even move forward on. Tallman said he understood there was no DEP number but felt that if he could be heard tonight he could correct some issues that the TCC may have and be ready for the next time they meet. ST asked if they would work on the roofdrains issue? Tallman said yes they will begin looking into that. Motion to continue to July 20, 202, MR’s concerns in the field report need to be addressed, and they will need the DEP number to move forward, DB, second RE, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 3. 61 Briarwood Drive, Emsley, (NOI), SE73-2855 ​See field report. Brad Fitzgerald present. Motion to approve with special conditions 1-5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 19, 21, 25-27, DB, second LF, Roll Call vote- All voted yes. Abutter phoned in: Phil Neveu 51 Briarwood Drive. Mr. Neveu is an abutter of the property and he would like an outside inspection because this house is definitely not the same size it was when originally built, it isn’t the original foot plan, but much larger. MR said that this is all done through the Board of Health. They go out and the main approval is from them. The TCC makes sure it doesn’t affect the wetlands. ST explained that the Board of Health does come out and inspect before and after. Brad Fitzgerald said they do a perc test first, which is witnessed by the Board of Health, then the plan is done and submitted to the Board of Health which they then send out to an engineer who consults for the Board of Health. The Board of Health comes out three times during construction to make sure all is going right. Motion to approve with special conditions 1-5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 19, 21, 25-27, DB, second LF, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 4. 198 Winthrop Street, Agrew, (LOCAL NOI), N-1231 ​See field report. Present Brad Fitzgerald. DB is this 50 feet from the grading to the back? It is actually more like 51/52 feet. Motion to issue a local NOI with special conditions 1-10, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24-27, LF, second DB, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. 5. 403 Winthrop Street, Ambrose/Taunton Federal Credit Union, (NOI), SE73-2856 See field report. Present Brad Fitzgerald. Motion to approve with special conditions 1-10, 17, 19, 21, 25-27, DB, second LF, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. Continued Violations: 1. 208, 218, 228, Berkley Street. ​Present abutters Lisa DaSilva and Brian and Alexandra Estrella. Some of the commissioners walked the site and did see some issues. MR texted both Tardanico and Fisher with no response so she does not think they will call in or join the zoom tonight. Motion to have this violation continue to July 20, 2020, have a certified letter served in hand to Mr. Tardanico detailing what the TCC wants done out there to correct the issues, fines are to begin today, TCC would like a report from the Earth Removal Board for the July 20, 2020 meeting, DB, second MI, Roll Call vote- all  vote yes. DB would like the fines to begin right away because this has all gone on long enough. Lisa DaSilva said the Brady sisters originally owned the land, willed it to their nephews, who sold to Federoff, who lost it and it was purchased in foreclosure by Varley with them selling the back part of land to Tardanico. Brian Estrella asked just that he be notified and a date be set of when Tardanico will go onto his property because he would like to be home. 2. E. Whitehill & Brooks Street. ​MR went out with the Assistant City Engineer to mark off the city property. They have ordered signs that will be put out. The channel will be cleaned out by Mosquito Control so it flows correctly. Mr. Perry was very cordial until the end. MR said the Law Department said they need the area signed and maybe a camera. They need proof. Motion to continue to July 20, 2020, DB, second LF, Roll Call vote- all voted yes. Abutter: Juanita Gallagher called in regarding what has been going on at this address. ST advised her on what to do. Other Business: 1. Bunk Pond. ​MR said there are ongoing issues there. They have broken through the barrier, there is now a shed erected out there, and the neighbors said the people going in and out are very rude and disrespectful. ST would like MR to do a letter to the Police Department and Building Department. The shed needs to be removed and they need to get the barriers back in place. 2. Meeting start time discussion. ​MR wanted to make sure they all agree to keep the meeting time at 6pm for now? All agreed yes. 3. Discuss land donation, 64-303. ​MR will follow up on this and report back to the TCC. 4. Cobb Brook. ​ST met a gentleman who has been slowly making his way down the brook, clearing it out and keeping it flowing. 5. Sabbatia Lake and weed control. ​MR said they submitted this to DEP but have not heard anything back yet. MR needs a Lake Management Plan from DEP before they can proceed. ST asked MR to keep contacting DEP so this can be taken care of. It is getting pretty bad out there again. Motion to adjourn, DB, second RE, so voted. Meeting ended at 9pm.