Lincoln Conservation Commission
MINUTES
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Lincoln Town Offices
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Toby Feibelman, Jim Henderson, David Katsuki, Mary Lincoln (chair) & Sara Silverstein. STAFF: Tom Gumbart & Sean Hale.
WETLAND FILINGS
Public Hearing - Notice of Intent: Massachusetts Audubon Society/Drumlin Farm Sanctuary - South Great Road (Map 113-Block 5-Lot 0).
The applicant, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, proposes to reconfigure their existing access drive and parking area to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety at Drumlin Farm. The hearing was attended by Christy Foote-Smith and Stuart Weinreb on behalf of Drumlin Farm and by Jason Loiselle and Mark Delaney of Sasaki Associates, project designers. This is one aspect of Phase One in Drumlin's master planning process. Drumlin Farm has engaged the neighbors, the Board of Selectmen, and the Planning Board in discussions while shaping the future of the Audubon Sanctuary.
Part of this plan involves expanding the paved parking area and constructing a pedestrian walkway within the outer 50-foot buffer zone to a man-made pond and associated shrub-swamp. This pond was created approximately 60 years ago and is 4-5 feet deep. There are no inlets and there is one outlet. This new parking area is located on an existing grassy area and trees and shrubs do not have to be removed. With the addition of new impervious area within the buffer zone the project needed to use stormwater best management practices to improve the quality of drainage that ultimately ends up in the wetland resource area. Currently stormwater simply sheetflows over the surface into the pond. The project will employ vegetated swales and stormwater bioretention areas to treat
stormwater and allow infiltration for groundwater recharge. The post-construction condition will meet MA DEP stormwater guidelines and result in a decrease in peak flow during storm events. All plants used will be plants native to Massachusetts. The disturbance within the outer 50-foot buffer zone includes 0.12 acres of new impervious area and 0.18 acres for a portion of the stormwater management system.
The Commission asked whether there were alternatives for parking that would move it outside the 100-foot buffer zone. Stuart Weinreb responded that they had looked at a variety of configurations but that the current proposal did not require tree cutting, which would be necessary if the lot shifted to the east. Also if the parking area were made longer and narrower there would be even more paving required and this would create even more stormwater runoff towards the pond. The Commission has concerns regarding the long-term viability of the stormwater system and the effects of snowplowing and snow storage. Mr. Loiselle said that the structures will need annual visual inspections and periodic cleaning out of the basins and replanting. The Commission requests that a written
Stormwater Operation and Management Plan be developed and submitted to the Commission and this is referenced below. Work is planned for mid to late summer and will last approximately two months with four weeks of construction.
The Commission voted 5-0 to close the public hearing.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Farrar Pond - Request for Extension of Order of Conditions DEP #203-670
The Commission asked Tom Gumbart to invite representatives from the Farrar Pond Association to come in and discuss their plans at an upcoming meeting.
Emergency Trail Marker System
Buzz Constable has worked up a trail marking protocol with Public Safety and the LLCT has started marking trails. The Commission agreed that the Conservation Staff should work to implement the same system on municipal conservation trails. The trail map is divided into 84 grids, A to G run vertically and 1 to 12 run horizontally. Then each individual grid (such as C-8) is split into four equal quadrants. The northwest quadrant is labeled "a", northeast is "b", southeast is "c", and southwest is "d". Existing trail markers will be marked with the above information to allow trail users to identify their location to within a relatively small area.
Bylaw Fee Structure
The Commission needs to revise the fee regulations under the local wetlands protection bylaw. Some fees applicants worked out were excessive and the fees need to be reassessed when the revised structure is put in place.
LLCT Invasive Species School Programs
The LLCT has worked with the 5th grade science teachers to develop an invasive plant species program. This will include two field outings, one for learning natural history of invasives and one for actually doing field removal of these plants. Sean Hale and Tom Gumbart will be helping with these classes.
LLCT Old Concord Road Neighborhood Meeting
Sue Klem updated the Commission about this February 8, 2004 meeting. The Commission had already received a write-up of the meeting. Overuse of Mt. Misery was a primary topic; including people, parking, and dogs.
Monitoring of Conservation Restricted and In-fee Conservation Lands
In the summer and fall of 2003 two interns worked out of the Conservation office on baseline monitoring of conservation lands. They were employed through the LLCT and primarily worked on LLCT lands. This work has been a great help for the Conservation Department. Sean Hale and Jane Layton worked on the Mount Misery baseline inventory with the interns. At this meeting Sean updated the Commission on work he has done on mapping and learning about the lands for which the Commission is responsible. Sean, with help from other Conservation staff, is planning to continue the work started by the interns. This summer the LLCT will likely hire help again and their efforts can be coordinated with Sean.
Nike Grant Status
Tom Gumbart received the "Certificate of Vote" from Nancy Zuelke confirming that the Town agreed to pursue acquisition of the 0.28 acres of Nike Site land in Lincoln. This completed the application package to the Federal Lands to Parks Program that is administered by the National Park Service. Everything is submitted and hopefully it will be approved.
Spring/Summer Meeting Schedule
The meeting schedule was reviewed and approved through July 21st for the first and third Wednesdays of each month. It is posted upstairs and downstairs on the bulletin boards in the Lincoln Town Offices and hardcopies of the schedule are available from the Conservation Office.
ACTION ITEMS
Meeting Minutes approved from - 01/21, 02/04, 02/25, 3/10, 3/24 2004
Bills were paid & Payroll was signed.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Gumbart
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