Conservation Commission / IWWA Minutes 07/01/2014 ADOPTED
CONSERVATION COMMISSION/INLAND WETLANDS &
WATERCOURSES AGENCY MINUTES
JULY 1, 2014
REGULAR MEETING
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Rich Miller called the Regular Meeting of the Conservation Commission to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Meeting Room at the Town Offices. Other members and alternates in attendance were Jim Morrison, Patrick Kottas, Bertram Kaplan, Margery Winters, and Margaret Sexton. Also present were Michael Glidden, Code Compliance Officer; Janis Prifti, Commission Clerk; and other interested parties.
II. APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES
Chairman Miller appointed Commissioner Kottas to serve as an alternate for Donald Rieger and Commissioner Morrison to serve for the vacancy.
Commission member Darren Cunningham joined the meeting at 7:35 p.m.
III. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION
a. Application #14-19 of Kevin Kowalski, Applicant; Simsbury Fire District, Owner; for the construction of a fire training pad within the upland review area to a wetland and the construction of training drafting pond within the wetland on the property located at 251 Hopmeadow Street (Map F16, Block 116, Lot 003C). Zone R-40.
Fire Marshall, Kevin Kowalski, presented the two portions of Application #14-19 to the Commission. One portion would be for putting in a training pad behind the Weatogue fire house at 251 Hopmeadow Street which was originally a Nike site with half of the land going to the Town and half to the Fire Department. Since the 1970's this area has been used for both training and formerly a carnival; training pads were initially put in followed by construction of a training building in the 1980's. The property layout was described, including a garage and vehicle storage for donated cars used in vehicle extrication training. The vehicle extrication training would utilize hydraulic tools on a cement pad to prevent liquids from leaking into the stream, e.g. hydraulics, antifreeze, etc. Once the cars disintegrate, they are somewhat reassembled and burned in car fire training. Due to environmental concerns, this year they invested in a 16'x5' moveable metal car prop, electronically controlled by an operator, fueled by propane, which provides the closest possible simulation to an auto fire with theatrical smoke, etc. for training personnel in the correct techniques to extinguish an auto fire. They need to have the car prop on a firm surface and propose building a cement pad to replace some existing asphalt; they would move the pad about 20 feet toward the stream and away from the building. They would train with straight water and no foam, except possibly in the middle of the field where it could not leach into the stream. By using straight water and no longer using actual cars, there would be no by-products except for theatrical smoke and natural gas use, which would result in a vast improvement for both the environment and them. They would put in a 2-foot swale with stone for the water to leach into to keep it from going directly into the stream. The 40'x40 or 60'x40' training pad would be about 20-30 feet from the stream, so they are looking into FEMA requirements that relate to digging in the soil with no change to the soil or grade, and the only difference would be whether or not it is pervious.
The second portion of the project relates to a large area of weeds and overgrowth caused by a large amount of material pushed out to create a berm with some standing water and trees located around the perimeter. In order to provide different training options for personnel, the Applicant proposed replicating a drafting pond on this site. They would dig the described area out slightly, clean out substantial debris, and put in a dry hydrant which was described as a box with a strainer and 4-inch connected white PVC pipe that goes underground and is similar to several others located around Town, along with cisterns they are putting in. People have been dropping brush off filling up this area, and they would like to prevent that activity without putting in fencing. If they trim overgrowth and weeds, leave standing trees, and put in lower vegetation to continue the bank, the area would be protected by increased visibility. Because the area is not stream fed, the standing water has very dense mosquito swarms. The Applicant plans to return to the Commission regarding 2 other areas in Town, without hydrants, that need maintenance and cleaning.
The Commissioners asked for more definition of drafting ponds. The Fire Marshall explained that going to a fire scene they carry 800 gallons of water and their hoses flow 250 gallons/minute with that limited water, so they have hydrants that flow between 500-1500+ gallons/minute of Town water; however, they also have over 10,000 gallons total on wheels. But 30% of the Town has no hydrants, so they have to suck the water out of a pond, which their pumpers are designed to do; that would be when a 6-inch hard-suction hose is placed in the water drawing negative pressure with a good flow of water at 1500 gallons/minute. Another responsibility relates to the Town insurance rating which includes fire protection, e.g. they are tested for the drafting of water, without hydrants, and the amount of time involved to move the water from one location to another in a rural water supply; they have a 5-inch hose that could be run a mile from a pond; currently, the Town has a very good rating of 4 out of 10 with a goal to move toward 3 or 2. The Fire Marshall further explained the proposed pond area was a swale that was a wetland which dries up; when the building was constructed material was pushed to form a berm and when it rains that area holds water and currently has about 1-foot of water. They would like to clean out a portion of that area for the pond which would hold about 10,000 gallons and would not require them to dig too deep.
Regarding current wetland maps, Town Staff indicated that while the area has the characteristics of vernal pool wetland soils, no further records were found and no amphibian masses were present. Regarding the presence of upland trees and brush habitat, the area was described as having scraggily brush with people having left brush piles on the other side of the bike path near houses. The Town and Fire Department currently maintain mowing to the edge of the area; the Fire Department proposed cutting the scraggily brush and prickers and maintaining vegetation to keep Geese out and to hold the edge; and the Commission will recommend plants to be put in in the fall, but not in the spring. They could train with the pond in the winter by cutting a hole in the ice so water could be sucked out with a hose. The excavated material would be moved to the back property for dewatering with a silt fence, but it would not be cost-effective for them to remove very much material, and they hope to use the pad excavation machine to also dig out the area for the pond to save on costs.
For the pad, they would cut the existing asphalt and have come to the Commission because the new pad would be moved 20-feet beyond the current pad into grass and away from a large tree. As the pad is in a special flood hazard area, the Zoning Commission has to give its approval. Regarding the moveable car prop being located in another area of the property, the Applicant responded that they need to use the same propane tank as for the annex building and to be within 150 feet of the tank but not too close to that vinyl-sided building; additionally, they want to keep away from the type of material contained in the actual burn building. Continued burning exercises on the asphalt pad have damaged it and it needs to be replaced with a more durable cement pad. The Applicant confirmed this would be the best fire house location to provide a controlled comprehensive training environment with no resulting pollutants. The Applicant confirmed that when the 50-year FEMA flood line was changed this stream became part of it, and anything running off the pad would be picked up by a 2-foot trap rock ring surrounding the pad.
The Commissioners reviewed that the plan included silt fence around the swale during construction, and dredged material would be dewatered and stockpiled/spread in the back of the property with silt fencing to keep it out of the stream about 30 feet away. There is also a retaining pond in back for catch basins that were put in for the building. Regarding use of foam, at $28/gallon it is rarely used and has hydrocarbons and alcohol, and they do not want to kill anything in the stream.
The Commissioners discussed whether Application #14-19 met any of the 9 definitions of significant activity and the best time of year for performing the work.
Commissioner Sexton made a motion that this is a regulated activity that includes both construction of a training pad and construction of a training draft pond with the training pad within the upland review area and the pond within the wetland itself.
Commissioner Winters seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
Commissioner Sexton made a motion that it is not a significant activity based on the Commission's regulations because the activity will not cause significant impact on the wetlands or in the upland review area, as well.
Commissioner Kaplan seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
Commissioner Sexton made a motion to approve the permit for the activity, both for the pad and the drafting pond, contingent on Town Staff counsel and recommendations with limits on the drafting pond excluding excavation in March, April and May, and timing excavation for August or early fall, and add some native plantings around the border, as discussed, and will provide some information on that.
Commissioner Kaplan seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
b. Extension request from William Selig for Application #06-27 for the construction of an addition to the existing barn within the regulated area on the property located at 40 Riverside Road (Map G12, Block 107, Lot 033). Zone R-15.
Town Staff confirmed the Applicant's request is for extension of a permit scheduled to expire this year, specifically for an addition to the existing barn. The Applicant has the time and funding to construct the barn addition over the next year but did not ask for a specific period of time for the extension. Town Staff explained that the original Application approval was from 2006, but during the economic downturn the General Assembly extended the time for wetland permits to 9 years for existing valid permits in hand on May 2011 and provided that applicants could also request from the Commission additional extensions up to 14 years from the original approval date. A one-year extension for Application #06-27 would provide a 2016 expiration date.
Regarding the pond mentioned in the original approved Application #06-27, Town Staff explained that the Applicant is in final negotiations to purchase an 11-acre parcel that would involve the irrigation pond and would return to the Commission about the pond in the future.
Commissioner Kaplan made a motion to give Application #06-27 for William Selig one extra year from the current approved date.
Commissioner Kottas seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
IV. RECEIPT OF NEW APPLICATIONS
a. Application #14-22 of Girard Brothers Corporation, Owner, for a Wetland Map Amendment to define the wetland soils on the properties located at 32 Iron Horse Boulevard (Map H09, Block 226, Lot 006) and 36 Iron Horse Boulevard (Map H09, Block 226, Lot 008-8A).
Town Staff confirmed that the Applicant missed the Hartford Courant deadline by 2 hours and will now be on the Commission's 7/15/2014 Agenda.
Town Staff confirmed receipt of an Application for a new home at 292 Bushy Hill Road within the Upland Review Area; previously, the parties were before the Commission for a map amendment at Orchard Lane. The Applicant has been working to reach agreement on existing issues with abutting neighbors.
Town Staff added that an Application for 16 Saw Mill may also be received by the 7/15/2014 meeting.
V. CORRESPONDENCE/ANNOUNCEMENTS
None.
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of June 17, 2014
On Line 153, the word "trials" is corrected to "trails".
Commissioner Kottas made a motion to approve the June 17, 2014 minutes, as amended.
Commissioner Sexton seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Kaplan made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 p.m.
Commissioner Kottas seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
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Donald Rieger, Secretary