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CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES OF MEETING
FEBRUARY 8, 2005

PRESENT:	Sally Underwood-Miller, George Shippey, Stephen Shatz, John Hart
Joseph DeGiorgis, Cathy Plakun

ABSENT:	Don Deno

Call Meeting to Order/Adopt Minutes – The Chairman called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  Member Shatz made a motion to adopt the Minutes of January 25, 2005, seconded by member DeGiorgis and all voted in favor.
Shannon Boomsma submitted a revision to the Alan Hirshberg plan which shows the 50-ft. offset from the wetland as requested by members Shippey and Shatz at the site visit.  A site visit will be scheduled for a time in April.
Shannon Boomsma submitted a revision to the Shelley & Robin Birnhak site grading drawings.  The revision from the previous drawing, in which they proposed lowering the grade of the driveway and parking area to create a slope down to the house, now eliminates the removal of material associated with that plan.  They now propose a very small cut along the house side of the parking area which will be used to fill along the toe of the slope down to the house addition which will be landscaped.  They also propose a stabilized slope instead of the terraced wall design originally approved by the Commission in 2001.  The Commission approved of the new drawings with the revision.
Clinton Schneyer, Highway Supt., was present at the request of the Commission to hear his input on the Assadour Tavitian water run-off and siltation and erosion issues.  Also present were William and Harold French whose properties are being affected by this.  Mr. Schneyer stated that Brown & Associates did the drainage plan for the property which included the installation of a big culvert with a manhole at the end of which Mr. Tavitian ran his storm drains to it.  Mr. Tavitian ran a 4 or 6-inch line into the Town’s storm drain.  This solution did not work at the time and the Town put in another manhole in at the other side of the street with a 12-inch to a 15-inch line of which Mr. Tavitian hooked into.  Mr. Tavitian also put a storage tank in the ground with an undersized pipe going out of it which led into the Town’s system.   Mr. Schneyer suggested that perhaps Mr. Tavitian’s representative and contractor should have been more cautious of and making allowances for the hill due to the stripping of vegetation, such as installing hay bales and erosion control fabric, knowing that there was going to be heavy rain storms approaching.  The previous detention basin is no longer functional and needs to be restored.  The drain that is now above the road is not functioning and needs to be repaired.  Mr. Schneyer stated that from 1996 to 2004 everything appeared to be okay with the hill until the contractor began doing tree plantings, etc.  It was voted on that the Chairman would write a letter to Mr. Tavitian with these suggestions along with the request that he submit to the Commission a copy of his “as built” for water run-off calculations, a copy of the NPDES/SWPPP of which he submitted to the EPA at the beginning of the project and a copy of his report under the EPA SWPPP of maintenance to the system during the construction phase of the project.
Mahkeenac Real Estate Co., Hawthorne Rd., NOI – Jeff Randall of Hill Engineers appeared with Will Godwin of Mahkeenac Real Estate Co. who proposes to replace the existing piers for five additional cabins and install new piers with footings below frost elevation.  There will be no additional impervious disturbance during construction or disturbance to the existing drainage in that area.  The cabins are currently on concrete blocks which site on grade which is located under the exterior walls.  The cabins are susceptible to movement under frost conditions which could cause structural damage to the floors and walls.   They propose to install double-staked hay bales and siltation fencing along the back edge of the cabins between the work construction and the BVW located in the back of the buildings.  The BVW is 15 to 20 ft. from the buildings.  No construction is proposed beyond the hay bales, which will remain in place during the construction phase and until the disturbed area has stabilized.  All work will be hand dug.  They put in a new sump pump and installed rip rap.  They will monitor the siltation protection frequently and replace it as necessary.  All disturbed around the piers will then be seeded and mulched.  It was decided that a site visit to the property was not needed, as the Commissioners have made previous visits to the property for other projects done on the site.  Member Shatz made a motion to close the hearing, seconded by member Shippey and all voted in favor.
Riverbrook Residence Trust, 4 Ice Glen Rd., RDA Continuance – Paul Scarpa of Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc. appeared representing the applicant who proposes to tie into the Town’s sewer line.  Members Shippey and Shatz did a site inspection and were okay with the proposal.  The amount of flow would be about 1830 gallons/day for the dorms and cottage.  The 3-inch line will be able to take other residences on the street as well if they so choose to connect.  Member Shippey made a motion to close the hearing, seconded by member DeGiorgis and all voted in favor.
Berkshire Theatre Festival, 6 East St., NOI Continuance – Steve Mack of Foresight Land Services, Inc. appeared on behalf of the applicant who proposes to do maintenance to an existing drainage ditch.  This maintenance is intended to ensure capacities by removing any accumulated sedimentation and debris while directing the flow into the existing cross culvert.  There will be temporary disturbance to a BVW due to cleaning activities only. The Chairman read into record DEP’s response.  Foresight Land Services sent a narrative to DEP addressing alternatives to reducing impact, especially to the bank; additional detail to the construction methodology including sequence of work; calculations to determine the amount of jurisdictional resource areas, more specifically the bank; and BVW delineation Field Data Forms.  The alternative they chose is to reroute the ditch and install a trap at the North side of the driveway.  Member Shatz made a motion to close the hearing, seconded by member Shippey and all voted in favor with one abstention by member Hart.
With no further business, member Shatz made a motion to adjourn at 9:45 p.m., seconded by member DeGiorgis and all voted in favor.
Respectfully submitted,

Denise A. Schneyer, Secretary