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		<subject index="0" >September 12, 2006</subject>

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CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES OF MEETING
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2006

PRESENT:	Sally Underwood-Miller, Stephen Shatz, John Hart, Don Deno
		Joseph DeGiorgis

ABSENT:	George Shippey, Cathy Plakun

Call Meeting to Order/Adopt Minutes - The Chairman called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.  The Minutes of the last week will be adopted at the next meeting.

Rosalyn Levitt of Mahheenac Heights Rd. appeared to discuss flooding to her property which is located at the end of Mahkeenac Heights Rd. and Yokum Rd.  There used to be a lot of mud running down the road to her property.  She has a low stone wall at the end of the property to keep the mud from entering her lawn area.  She spoke with Highway Supt. Clinton Schneyer at the end of 1999 or early 2000 about the problem and asked him if he could pave the road and he stated that he did not have the materials, the workmen or the equipment to do so.  He said that when he did it would get done then.  In the meantime the sewer was put in and with the trucks going up and down the road and construction going on on Housatonnuck Rd., Ludlow Construction came through and changed the configuration of Mahkeenac Heights Rd. and she has had water coming through her property greatly.  She has a crack in her chimney from this.  The ceiling in the house is now broken.  She would like the Commission to come and take a look at her property.  The run-off is of concern to the Commission.  Because of the steepness of the slope the Commission can look at the house and the problem.  R. Levitt suggested she call B&B Landscaping and they suggested she put in a curtain drain in at the end of the road.  The Commission can speak with the Highway Supt. to come up with a solution.  Member DeGiorgis suggested the Commission do a site visit.  The members will do a site visit at their leisure but within the next week or so and notify Ms. Levitt of their findings.

Larrywaug Land Trust, Larrywaug Rd./Interlaken Rd. - NOI Continuance - M. Kulig appeared with John Peyron, Jr., Trustee of the Trust, to discuss the continuance of their proposal to construct a single-family house and install a well and septic system on the 8+ acre parcel.  The Chairman read into record a letter submitted by abutters John L. & Martha Peyron.  M. Kulig stated he walked the area with T. Eucker and the Commissioners and have since remapped some of the new lines and dug 13 new test pits to see if he could come with a new hydric soil testing.  Once they get that they will remap it.  The Chairman stated that there was a burn pile just south of the proposed house site which needs to be removed.  T. Eucker made changes to the wetland delineation lines and submitted a 10-page review to the Commission and M. Kulig.  M. Kulig will need time to review it and make those changes.  They will then decide where the house envelope will be and how it will be handled, as T. Eucker recommended that it be defined very carefully and what can and cannot take place outside of that envelope.  The hearing was continued to the next meeting.

Edward Shapiro & Donna Elmendorf, 17 Prospect Hill Rd. - NOI Continuance - Marc Volk of Foresight Land Services appeared on behalf of the applicants who propose to construct a lap pool, do house renovations and vista clearing on their property.  M. Volk indicated on the plan the area where the applicants propose to remove the Buckthorn and its replacement.  The Chairman expressed concern that it is a heavy wooded area and with very dense covered habitat and making it much more open.  M. Volk stated that the existing Native American trees will stay.  The Commission would like to see a shrub layer.  M. Volk stated that the Buckthorn diminishes as you go up the hill.  The first year it will be hydro seeded with a binder with mesh and the area stabilized.  They wanted do the work this summer but will do it when the ground is frozen.  The Chairman stated that she was abstaining from voting on the project.  Member Shatz made a motion to close the hearing, seconded by member Hart and all voted in favor.  The Commission will ask for updates on the project.

Kripalu Yoga Fellowship, 57 Interlaken Rd. - NOI Continuance - James Scalise of S&K Design appeared representing the applicant who proposes to remove a driveway and install a new drive.  Member Shatz recused himself from the hearing due to a conflict of interest.  The Chairman read into record a member submitted by abutter Thomas Stokes.  T. Stokes met with Patrick Sheoli of Kripalu to discuss the project.  J. Scalise, Garret Sarley of Kripalu and their attorney David Hellmann were also present.  The pond as shown on the GIS is a dry pond 4-5 ft. high.  There is an old reservoir there.  There is a steep slope with no real evidence of deep gulleys.  The Riverfront runs through the wetland and then extends through the mean annual water line.  It does not entirely fill in the spring.  T. Stokes stated that he would encourage more water to go back into the brook (Shadowbrook).   A retaining wall is highlighted in yellow on the plan.  They were able to get water reconfigured.  The outside of the pond goes into a septic field.  There will be 10 collection units instead of 5 when doing the addition.  There are a lot of hemlocks that will be removed while doing construction.  They will be removing parking in the impervious area.  They will be adding trees at the edge of the drive.  They will use gravel and sand mixture for the drive.  The proposed parking lot will be impervious surface.  The drive is 15 ft. wide and the upland area is 30 ft. wide.  They use very little salt currently.  They will put swales on the flat parking lot.  All of the storm water for the parking lot is controlled.  Member Deno made a motion to close the hearing, seconded by member DeGiorgis and all voted in favor.  J. Scalise will e-mail suggested Order of Conditions.  He will also submit a revised plan and the 21-day period will begin when the Commission receives it.

Craig Moffatt appeared to discuss the chestnut tree planting project for the property on South St. owned by the Stockbridge Land Trust.  He stated that there is a lot of poison ivy about 150 ft. from the wetlands.  There is not a lot of mowing or spraying he can do.  He will read up on what Round-Up can and cannot do.  He would like to take a pump sprayer when it just mowed and spot the leaves and lit it dry and see what it does.  The Commission feels that is okay to do on a nice day with no wind.

The Commission singed an Order of Conditions for Jonathan Gottleib and Elisabeth Youngerman and an extension permit for Debra Fechter of Mahkeenac Terrace.

Member Shatz made a motion to close the hearing at 9:20 p.m., seconded by member Hart and all voted in favor.

						Respectfully submitted,

						Denise A. Schneyer, Secretary