Conservation Commission - Regular Meeting

Yeah. So, let's the first thing let's just review the minutes from our last meeting. I will begin sharing my screen right now. time in this district. Um, you will not Yeah, you were not here for that last meeting, but that does not prevent you from, in fact, we need you to vote for that. Well, either one way or another because whoever you are part of the karma

limbhood, how does this does is does this reflect um accurately applicant and owner? Um, yes, that is that is the correct

and I apologize. I should have caught that in the u the early draft edition that was like emailed to us probably like two months ago. Um, I should have looked closer in front. No, that's that's okay. We'll be able to So, we we've reflected the um the minutes reflect what actually happened. backward.

Yes, they they they um we're just going over minutes. Anybody has any comments? So if I I had I had a brief question on the minute man airport. Did somebody just reach out to them and say uh yeah we're good because because they they had asked for approval from the from said yeah we're okay with that. So, I was just wondering did the loop get close for them?

Yeah, I I had um responded to them and and said that uh the commission agreed that they could proceed with their um yearly operation plan. Thanks. That's good. Great. Um so, can I have a motion to um approve the minutes from our November 19 meeting? I move that we approved from the November 19th meeting. Second. All in favor?

I unanimous. Okay, great. Thank you. Uh, is there any? We'll just see. Yeah, there is. And there's um What do you think the correspondence? Um I I do have I'll say that I'll quickly go over um what I had emailed you today, Liz, and that was that we received an NOI. Didn't include it in the correspondence, but I did want to get ahead of the curve since we did receive it as correspondence. Um we got the paper copies in the mail today.

Hill Road. Yeah. So this is an NOI we received for 959 Hill Road. Um Mary is reaching out to the engineer on that uh to get the last outstanding pieces, the 11 by7s, and we expect to have it noticed in time and a hearing on our next meeting, which is looking like the 17th. Um but we can decide that at the end of this meeting. Um she did say an order since it is a simple septic replacement on grass area within the 100 foot buffer. Um They're sorry. Did you want me to repeat myself?

Oh, yeah. I can remember which number you said. Sorry. Oh, yeah. I said it's a simp it's a septic replacement on grass area um within the 100 foot buffer. Uh and since we have a lot of experience doing that, I did recommend to Liz that uh Steve Schmidt could be the reviewer on this. Um once we get the materials in, he can decide if he wants to inspect the site and then uh that could potentially put us in a position to open the NOI, hear the uh hold the hearing on um the 17th and then close the hearing on that day as well

on one day. That would be awesome, right? That would be a dream come true. Yes. So, we don't need to vote on anything just yet. Um, so the more the more we talk about how simple this is, you know, talking. All right. Isn't there another one in there? Yeah, it's Dallas like 975. Yeah. No, that's the other one. Yeah, it's the blue house. The blue brick house. Oh, wow. The one next to the parking floor. Oh, yeah. Oh, wow. That's crazy. Hello. Um, welcome.

There you go. Welcome. Um, do we need more seats? Um, there we do. There are a few if you want to or there's nobody sitting there. So, if you want to take that, I can do the math. I think we're good. Yeah, we're not going to be starting for another 10 minutes. So, we're just do our Okay. So that's uh So that's 959 Mill Road septic. Great. Um is there anything else in correspondence that we can just sort of take care [clears throat] of? Do you have

Yeah, I'll go through really quickly. This was just for an update on the conservation land maps I told Kelly um who is relaying to the select board. Um, I did I would like to get a meeting on the books between myself, Rich, and David for sometime next week or the following week just so we could um set some goals, timelines, and uh deliverables for end of this year and then have those potentially installed next year. So, I'll be in touch, Rich. I just wanted to put that on your radar. [clears throat] morally. Yeah, that that sounds good because uh we do want to be responsive to uh the select board's inquiry and uh and it is a good time because our maths I think it's been 20 years we've had this one format of math and

oh yeah yeah I've been doing this for a long long time 20 years these were nice they were this is these are our um I don't know if you can see this Um cuz I don't it's dependent but these are our trail guides. This was printed by Cisco and back in 2020 2003. Oh wow. Remember that update? Yeah. Uh and then we did an update on this for when we got a grant. We just did the maps and um but that was funded by grants. So anyway, there I I do like um a little booklet and I think

I I think we can talk about that too in conjunction with this whole um map revamping because um there is the signage that we want to help people find their way within the trail system and you know with markings and stuff but I also think it's a nice um especially the one that u the bigger one had a little history of um the parcels which um is nice I think for people to do. Yeah. And the printed maps have the same the same info. Yeah. Anybody bothers to do that. Nobody has a printer.

All right. So, yes. Thank you, Ian. That'd be great if the three of you could uh could meet and um get that sort of process. Absolutely. And I notice our room is filling up with this last piece of uh correspondence maybe taking a couple more minutes. I'll continue moving the meeting so that um we can get to the 975 Massav order of conditions. I know our applicant is here, Limhood. Yeah, pull up those order of conditions. Here

we do. I'm going to start with the additional conditions um that we received I believe today or yesterday. Thank you Steve for completing these and thank you David for um for looking these over revising and uh suggesting Can you make that Oh, I guess on the screen that's all right. Do you want to make it even a little tiny bigger? Little bigger. Yeah, I can. How's that?

So So just to summarize the the changes. Um, so I wrote the the preamble. I worked off the boiler plate that Mary gave me and I expanded the preamble to be more specific to the project I called specifically the two impacted area the stream crossing and the offset that um addresses it that sort of remediates the chain offsets it. and then the um onsite switch system um gradient um moving into the wetlands buffer area and as we agreed in last meeting that uh we were grant a waiver to allow the project to continue. So I cited the relevant bylaw chapter that came right out of the lab request letter provided by the engineering project. So, so I think that section is in the regulations actually.

Yes, it was came came right out of the uh well the regulations there's a bylaw and then there's regulations. Yeah. Yeah. We'll have to so they should say the regulations. Yeah, cuz the bylaw doesn't actually have that section that you're it's the there's the bylaw itself and then the regulations actually explain what the heck argument. Okay. Where is that in the um I just say should do we need to amend that language then I suppose um yeah I just I would just addations yeah we will just add the word regulations I'll mark this up if I could find what page it's on the first page is it on first page

yes great job so change the word bylaw requirement to regulation just strike section 352. Yes. Regulation should be capitalized. I've got the actual document here and I'm not.

Okay. So, it said she said it's like the final paragraph. Do I have that in the order of fingers? Yeah. Okay. Where is that? Who was in my package? I don't know if it's in yours. There was a separate 97. This No, no, this is What number is this? 975. Okay. So, that's that. And then there was a separate doc. There it is. Right there. Thank you. Too many pieces of paper. Okay. Okay. And so, bylaw regulations.

Yes. So, right. And then we strike the requirement section 3521. So bylaw regulation then I think we just strike the requirement section 3521.

Okay. Is that right, David? Uh yes. I I didn't actually check that's the section, but I assume you did. Well, yes. We could go to our rags and um and and see where that is. Oh, I'm sorry. So So then the correct language is wave bylaw regulation 3521. So you check that in. Yeah, because that's what you you were just using bylaw and you meant regulation. I took the text right out of there and they were and you were citing the regulation. Okay. So I think they probably got it right.

Yeah, I think they did cuz I when I was okay bylaw regulation um section as the same. Okay. Okay. So it's it's just the word regulation should be there instead of requirement. Yes. Okay. Fine. And I'm gonna have will um so Ian um y we're going to sign this this document but um you know Mary will just we'll just have to highlight to Mary that to make that change on the on the cover pages. Sounds good. We'll just vote for it as amended.

Then we proceed and then okay the only other things that I changed was I folded in the content. So everything else in here is boilerplate additional conditions. And what I did is I took the specific language that David provided and folded and starting on wetland replications item 70. 70 was a very small change. I just included pure definition wetland replication area WIA. And then I referenced it again in the uh those bolded um sentences on section 72, item 72 because there was like I say there was a lot of overlap in the

Do you want to scroll down just so that we're on the um Yeah, you said 72 right here. Oh, sorry. I'm um I am not honest with you. Right. Um I just want to make sure um just for clarification since the meeting was actually closed, am I able to even make No. Okay. Well, you can't provide your information, but you can ask us open question. Clarification. You can ask question. Okay. Okay. Y

um can you um put it to 70 because I think we were we talking about 70 or are you already on 72 is the is the one with the actual uh here this this is a condition to which the project team and owner will have to comply. Okay. So it's good to make sure that it parses Yeah. The language looks good. Um I I think I said during the last meeting, my only concern has always been making sure that the um the monitoring period um isn't holding up any sort of occupancy permit, which it doesn't seem to be the case here.

Right. Great. And then the final change was the last sentence on the next item 73 which just say that uh the only the only change beyond standard was that the certificate of compliance shall not be issued prior to the specialist original certification species plant that was fully established and growing vigorously. Right. So come up with a plan. the the specialist will certify that it is [snorts] happen it's it's working and that things are growing vigorously and um and of course the the the lever is cold message. So, um, fully established is a little tricky. Um, each species planted is fully established. Um, I I guess I'm a little I guess I'm a little curious about what what it means to be fully established because if it's

that means 75% of all species planted shall be grown beers after um two years. Okay. Should we Yeah, it says that in in previous It says that in the first Okay. Thank you. of of of that of that item. So that the target 75% so that's what fully established. Okay.

Okay. Um and 74 can be removed. 74 is redundant because that's that's that's what it's that's in condition 72 where it says upon completion of all WR connecting so that one specialist shall certify in writing of the conservation the complaint in compliance with okay so are we comfortable with that that we just that's a redundant and we are taking that out I am okay with that is that Yeah. Okay. We're all in agreement. Okay.

I'd also like to ask, Madam Chair, are or Steve, feel free to answer. Are these flood storage and wildlife are they intended to be numbered conditions? I did not touch that. And so, um, I actually wanted to ask about that too because we don't have compensatory flood storage on site. Yeah. So, that should come out. George is not applicable. Okay. Yeah. I one of the things about these the number the numbering this is a very cluy document.

Um and wildlife uh Ian if you're ever bored you can make it so that we can easily reumber the net. Did you do that? [clears throat] as far as yeah this discussion about wildlife is you know similar to the flood storage but not in an area where we have um you know habitat area um yeah that that can that can come out although I believe that when it is shown as a potential burn pool on mass map

um we could keep um because that could be number seven I do think it should have a number wildlife is the is sort of the subse I But I don't I don't think it's supportable here, you know. Okay. So, well, even I I know at one point Oxbow didn't look at that. Um I'm not sure why they would certify it. Yeah. All right. So, we'll take we'll take that out. Yeah. Man, then the rasper back to the boiler boiler plate. work. No permanent structures, no DNA and chemicals.

Uh dubbing and we're going to renumber this um you know Ian. Yeah, I'll let Mary know. She can update the uh the template as well. Yeah, thank you. Any other comments? And just for my clarification, did you guys strike this wildlife one? Yeah, good. All right. Thank you. I and I' I've marked up my my copy I think pretty clearly. Just had a red

what? Um all right then. And I have a motion to approve the order of conditions for 975 Bazav as amended. Why? Oh to approve as amended. Motion to approve the draft as amended. As amended. Yes. Yes. Do we have a second? Okay. Sorry. Um all in favor say I. I. Excellent. And uh there are two copies to sign.

So please I'm going to pass it down. Did you want to walk out of here with one or or are you going to see Mary tomorrow? Yeah, we need your We're not ready for that. Okay. So, here's Hope everyone has a but yeah, so two signatures and then we send it back to you.

Great. Limhood, I'll get this over to you tomorrow morning and um Mary will will uh you know take all the necessary steps to to get it to you as well in uh in paper as well as to the D. Okay. Oh, let's add number

is it is that another word for slurry Uh, okay. Where did I put that? Yeah, I don't want to start anything because we're almost ready to um Yeah, open. Guess I could open the hearing.

Um actually, could you um do we have I'm not sure I have the um that little note thing. Oh, is this a continued hearing? No, this No, it's new. It's new. Okay. Um, I'll pull up the uh legal notice for you.

Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. Thank you. Uh, pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 131 section 40 and the Boxboro wetland bylaw, a public hearing would be held on December 3rd, 2045 at 7:45 p.m. for the Boxboro Conservation Commission to receive your notice of intent following Dillis and Roy on behalf of the applicant Jim Bass property at 272 depot road assessor's map 05-062-0000 is done by Brian and Elizabeth Cala project description is a demolition of a detached garage and construction of a detached garage in Breezeway public hearing on behalf of the town hall at 9 zone video conferencing all details are meeting public on the conservation commission agenda when posted a minimum of 48 hours prior to the meeting on the town website uh and contact the commission office if there are any questions. So

thank you very much. Would you be agreeable to me presenting from an easel? I haven't done that. I haven't done that in years. Hang on. Do it. this co time. Would you mind uh also introducing yourself? I just Oh yeah, sorry. I will do the whole dog and talk. Bear with me.

And side by side, I will uh do my best to present um everything electronically as well for those watching online and for those watching the recording as well. I will also note that until today there was no D file number for this NOI. Um noting on the agenda it is actually the incorrect number Mary realized today. However, we did get the file number from the D today and it is uh 1130598 not 97.

Okay. And um it looked like they had no comments. That is correct. Always a good thing, right? Yeah.

Well, thank you, Greg Roy with Pilson Roy. Uh this evening I'm representing the um which is Bassnet and Dale is representing Dale Swanson is representing Bassnet who's the contractor uh that would be uh building the addition. Brian Caldwell is here as the owner and I think his wife Liz is on the Zoom call. So, uh, thank you for having us this evening. We appreciate it. I'm going to try to be as brief as possible. Um, as you mentioned, we are, um, we submitted a notice of intent at 272, uh, depot. Um, the project is what we believe is relatively, uh, straightforward. Um, actually, let me start with existing conditions. Apologize. Um, bring that in. I can. question.

Can I give like a weird context thing to say that the site the the red house the red barn house that we all visited it's like acorn like across the street um right there. Yeah, I think that's right. Right. Y probably over here I think. Yes, exactly

right. Yeah. So um from an existing condition standpoint um we have uh the house that sits here on the so the property is shown in these in these uh these solid uh lines. Deeper road is here. The driveway is located right in this location here with the existing house. Um the wetland is actually completely uh almost completely offsite. There's one wetland flag that's located on the property right here. Um but um the bulk of it is on the adjacent property. But be that as it may, there's there's resulting bucket zones and wetland offsets that impact uh the property. There is a stream um within that bordering wetland bordering vegetated wetland that is considered intermittent. Uh so it doesn't uh it is not mapped as perennial. Um so there is no associated uh bird area with that strain. Um the um 100 foot buffer zone is shown in this and it'll show up a little bit better on the proposed u when I post the privilege. 100 foot buffer zone um limit limit is is here which is also the limit of your aura uh for your um uh bylaw and um there's an existing structure uh garage uh shed uh structure located here with a patio uh in this in this location here and the Caldwell's looking to um essentially remove a portion of the driveway um the patio and that existing structure. Uh and in the same similar footprint uh construct a um addition to the house which would include a garage um and attached breezeway uh in the front here um with some additional space in the back. I tried to do this a little bit of justice with an overlay plan, but it's going to be difficult for you to see,

but effectively in brown hatch here, uh, colored in brown, uh, pencil is the proposed addition.

Um, in red, uh, outlines are all the areas the imper the impervious areas, driveway, existing furniture, patio that will then be removed. So you can see that um we're really working with the same footprint. Um we also did provide you with a um a summary table here um that compared um impervious areas existing with impervious areas proposed. And you'll see that we're uh resulting in a net reduction in impervious area on the site. Um, and we're actually pulling the um the the existing driveway is actually a few feet closer to the wetland than what will actually be um then what will be resulting uh where the foundation edge of uh the proposed garage pulling that back uh by I think two. Um that's really the nuts and bolts of what we uh what we submitted to you. I did want to acknowledge that um we we did receive places uh review comments. We did have a sitewalk with um

Thank you. Um and we really have no um I wanted to acknowledge their letter. I do have revised plans, but they're hot off the press. I'm not even going to present them to you tonight because it wouldn't be fair. Um but we don't I wanted to say that we don't have any objections to any of the places comments. Um most of them were a lot of them were agreeing to the wetland delineation that we had. There were no flat wetland flags that moved. Um there was some recommendations for uh showing stockpile areas which we will do. Um we're actually um just spoiler alert here. Um we're going to be proposing stockpiling completely contained in the existing driveway. So we're not going to be proposing anything outside of that. Um we extended the erosion control barrier per request. Um, we agreed to put some rooftop infiltration in uh trip recharge infiltration in um along the edges of the uh of the proposed roof um and and things like that. So, I really don't have any objection to any of the comments that they um that places um uh presented to us. Um and I am going to hand you a set of revised plans to that tonight, but I know that you're not going to have a chance to to digest that. So it wouldn't the holidays I just wasn't able to respond.

And on the revised plans, what will be different from uh what we're seeing before us? Well, um we will show the you will show some of the additions that you're making. Correct. So let me let me just go through some of those. We've extended the erosion control barrier for their comments along the edge of the driveway. Okay.

We've clearly identifi this plan that's that's in front of you tonight is the revised plan that you're going to get, but you don't have it in your packet. So that's why I'm pointing to these things. Okay. Um we're we've identified in the hatched area um on the paved uh surface where the uh where the proposed stockpile of material area will be. That's keyed into some additional burnage that they wanted us to have in the erosion control notes uh relative to no storage chemicals and and that kind of thing, right?

Um we've added a detail and it's not on this plan unfortunately. I don't know why, but we've added a drip recharge detail. You'll you'll have it on your your plan to submit which has an infiltration uh just to add some some gravel just around the perimeter. Correct. Just to collect that where it's dripping off a roof. Um so we can encourage infiltration into the ground. Um let me just go through. We also provided an existing conditions plan that sort of clear clarifies uh what's there today versus what we're proposing. So you should have that actually in that. Yeah. Yes.

Um that will be stamped by a registered land surveyor like they requested. Um let's see. Um we did some labeling. Uh they asked us to label the u limit of your uh uh adjacent land uh resource area. So we we'll we'll certainly clean that up. Okay. Um most of the things actually we didn't have any they either agreed with us or they were just sort of for the board. Um had to see all of the surveyor.

Yep. Uh that we'll have actually here our booster partners. So you'll have that when I can do the plans. Um yes, uh we added a note that says we'll state the property line prior to construction. Uh which was a request of the um places dur line recharge. And then the uh last comment of substance was just making a little bit more robust of a note relative to the stockpile that we shouldn't have any paint, solvents, concrete, other construction materials stockpiled within 50 ft away. So we've added that note in the last

really that was all um as you indicated there was no comments from DP which was late breaking. So I I kind of anticipated continuing this anyway because I wasn't expecting to get their comments. Um but uh happy to take any questions and comments folks have. Yeah. Does anybody have any uh questions? Uh my primary comment was going to be for I wanted to see some um management of the uh roof runoff and that that uh uh we'll be including that and I'll just wait to see the detail. Yeah. And then apologize I couldn't get that to you before the holiday. It just didn't happen. So

yeah, any other I have just sort of a building kind of question. The term breezeway does that mean that the space is enclosed or is it open to be there? That's going to be a heated space, right? Don't hit up. The detail of it will be determined in the further further conversation between Liz, Brian, and I. Um, it could be enclosed enclosed walls in heated space or or ultimately from a budget standpoint, it could be left as a screen porch. We still just still connected in previous connect with a frost wall. Frost frost.

Frost wall. And if and if that area was over to to the to the outside, would you follow it? I was just trying to get a picture in my mind from Yeah, that's a good question. I used maybe use the word breezeway a little bit too literal. No, we have a thing that's like from our garage to our house. It's open on the air. Yeah, bridgeway is a term that connects one thing to another and it's, you know, not not solid walls usually. And from a from your standpoint, from an earth removal standpoint, we're considering it pert. So whether or not we

enclosed it with and it's a heated more like a mud room or whether it's more of a threeseason breezeway with screens or something like that. I think to be determined, but that's nice to not have to walk out into the snow of your car. [clears throat] [laughter] You're singing the scheming very [laughter] I thought we arrived after the house. So it's so nice. My my house the mud room was what sold the house. That's when we walked into the house and the first thing we saw was that we said, "Well, we got to buy it." Yeah, we don't have room in now.

Yeah. Yeah. So, we have a breeze outside. Concription seemed kind of straightforward. Yeah, totally. Places. Yeah, places. Bill doesn't miss anybody. Yeah, they had a comprehensive uh letter. It was nice to meet Bill on site. um our weather specialist Seth was on site with him just to make sure we check the flags and um and that also to check out and said we don't have any objections to any of the comments. So we when we want to hand you revised plans um but we're also going to submit those back to the places uh hot off the press this afternoon so I apologize but um

so should uh I think we can are ready to just um to continue this to our next meeting. you have a person who's like so ridiculous or um I I think I'm doing it and with Rich I think that's the two of us are going to be so we'll we'll work together on that and we'll probably come to just to visit the site too sometime between now and um I can let Liz know I think I have Liz's detective just let her know or me um or both of us yeah we can figure out a time to just go down I'll Steve West what? Yes.

Um, so can I have a motion to continue the hearing until December 17th? Do we have one at 7:45? So 8:00 [clears throat] 17th. December 17th. Why 7:45? Um, because we have done for 959.

So moved. Okay. Second. approved. Okay. [clears throat] All in favor? I. So, we'll see you next two weeks from now. 8 8:00. Excellent. Thank you very much. We appreciate Thank you very much, Greg.

Can I hand you these plans? Yeah. Sure. Mary's not in this. We did email these today. Those are the hard ones. And is one of these for Mary? One is are these for each of us? I don't know. That's what they asked us for the original. Uh okay. I'll count them and then we'll say Yeah. And if you need more, tell Mary to reach out. Sounds good. All right. Thank you. [clears throat] Um can I have the um order conditions? Thank you.

Madam Chair, if you'd like, I can present a brief update on the current status of 31 Eldridge. Hold on one second. There's like a lot of happening while Greg is

um but you will um I I don't have a little sticky to put a note for Mary but I'll just write it on on because he's another one anyway. Um, please see corrections. Okay, here. And let me just um now I have to get rid of all the old uh old stuff for 272 default. [clears throat]

How many others are there? Very easy. Six. Six. Six. Let's both be seven. Two. Is that

You know what? I think I'm gonna have Mary just I'm gonna give this all to Mary because it looks like there are mats and there's there's narrative and they're not connected. So I think we'll just Yeah, we can I'll go through it with her tomorrow. Absolutely. We'll just Okay. Um so what have we done? We've done 975 NASA conditions. Have we reviewed all the correspondence that we need to anything of interest? I when I last looked there wasn't any or anything major.

I will say there's uh one piece of correspondence that we can go through. Um that or we can I I have it up right here is 31 Eldridge Road. So I'll go through that really quick. It's not correspondence but is it is an update. is it is an update. So, um on November 12 or 13,

yeah, November 12, our TAN engineer produced a brief report on the three outstanding items to be addressed before issuance of the COC. Um she had sent that to us and we had given it to the applicant and owner. Uh later, I think on this date, November 25th, the owner of the property came in with photo evidence that the um that two of these recommendations were met. I guess I'd say two and a half. Um where it says there is debris. Um this area needs to be cleaned up and stabilized. I'll show you the photo. the area was cleaned up, but there's no evidence of stabilization. So, I reached out to the applicant. I reached out to the owner um to just provide proof uh of stabilization efforts before um coming back for the

And really, all we want are some wood chips. Wood chips or winter rice seed. Yeah. And I I had let them know that as well. So, I um we'll uh I'll I'll try to get get on that um so he can hopefully come back before the next be a little tough with the snow, but Yeah, it is. It is right now. And it doesn't look like it's going to be melting anytime soon. So, [clears throat] we'll keep an eye out. So, so stabilization just means don't leave it bare dirt.

So, it runs off. It'll run off. like that. So, so if it was the spring, seeding it with something would be useful or but throwing wood chips is is acceptable but like say gravel is not right. Right. It needs is going to be reveated at some point and temp stabilization the word temporary is implied until it becomes rev. sort of use this like spread straw over that. I was thinking straw too, but I feel like that will like blow any kind of mulching would be okay. Just whatever places recommend [clears throat] fire. They they were saying mulch or winter um winter rise seed.

Okay. So, so this maybe come come um back to us on December 17th or maybe into next year. We'll see. So, we're not going to see this again until they've complied with the with it. Well, I don't think the certificate of compliance until Oh, no. Okay. Oh, so even after they've stabilized it, you you think we should hold off and see because I think it's it's the order of condition says that it needs to be reveated. Yeah. So, they'd be better off putting seed down. That's that's going to be in the next drawing season. Yeah.

So maybe maybe moderating uh Mike's expectations of when this is going to be issued is a good thing.

Sounds good. Um all right. And then last piece of correspondence is uh regarding conservation reports from the recreation commission. Um there has been a need for the recreation commission to report to the conservation commission. Um I believe in our packet it even has the annual town meeting warrant from 1980 that details this regulations for use of flare. Um and then these five bullet points are also included right here. And these are the regulations that we need to follow.

Follow that. I know. Didn't um Amy sort of reached out and asked what what do they need to do? Well, this is what they need to do. Yeah. So, box reccom shall annually complete a letter of understanding specifying these programs.

Just telling us what they what they've uh what programs they've done, the usage of the field. Um, and certainly if they're expecting to expand the the playground, they should be telling us that as well. Yeah. And so I in speaking with Amy today, I I understood that most of the question she had was about the um proceedings for it. Would we like this uh sent into us as correspondents? Would we prefer a joint meeting where we can go over this material together? would we like the chair to present it to us? Um, those are kind of some of the outstanding questions.

I have a strong feeling. Really? Well, I mean, it sounds like you're talking about a routine report, right? Yes, it is supposed to be annual. Um, we haven't had it for many years, but it does say I say it wouldn't be bad to talk. I mean, if they would come to us, the the routine stuff is all well and good, but they are asking for 300 some odd thousands of CP uh a funds for renovating the playground that is on um at Flara and that is a big project that I think they should come and talk to us about. Oh, the playground is awesome. You can grab it.

No, I think I don't know. um they feel that it needs to be refurbished. I'm not I'm not sure. I don't know. I don't know any of the details. Well, and and and is it being expanded? I don't know. See, that's the uh I don't know. Well, they haven't got any funding. No, they don't. But yeah, I guess that's true. I mean, that's something they really should have come to speak to us about before they submitted the application. Really, I think. Yeah. Me, too. But too late now because it's tomorrow night. But um so I think it would be good for um I don't know if we need a joint meeting. scheduling a joint meeting is too hard. Yeah.

Is it possible that one of their um somebody from the reccom could come and talk to us about what uh what they're planning for the um expansion or the refurbishment of um the playground and yes, I'll request that and I'll request um that for this annual letter um to be presented as well. I mean, I'm sure they'll both um fit hand in hand for this [clears throat] year, but it will set a good precedent moving forward um

because I [clears throat] think the number was about 20 years that this has uh kind of gone without. So, yes, I'll let Amy know that uh that's kind of what we're looking for. I'll send her this as well. Um Mary had dug this up today and um and we'll hope to hear from them soon. But yes, the public hearing starts tomorrow for all of them. And um great. Yeah, that's it for correspondence. I have like an off off the record question, but whatever. It's on record. Um has anybody noticed that the like cruising pond whatever area is really low? Yeah, I saw that too. Why?

Cuz someone took out the beaver dam. Oh, like permanently or? No. Um illegally. Uh I I I don't know. Uh the first well the first thing to do would be to ask the town to ask DPW. I know some sometimes in the past they they've done it. And I tried to look back on the um permits or whatever like there was at some point that we gave MVTA or whatever permission to remove the Colbert request. Correct. No, it's not. Yeah.

And and this is this is the worst time of year you can lower a beaver impoundment. The beavers will die. Um because they they'll basically freeze to death. Um so that's that's not good. That's not what's that? The fish and everything else. Yeah. Yeah. So So this is the dam beach, the the underpass there just off Sergeant Road. Is that the Indiana house bridge? No, I think it's probably further down, right? It's it's closer to the depot road. Okay, I know that.

Maybe that one has been as well. I haven't checked it since last weekend. Um Um I think it's a matter of Well, the first meeting with the DPW um maybe Ian, could you do that? Yeah. So could you uh refresh me on roughly the location of it is or what you would um uh well yeah what where little little field road and dbo like where little field and dbo where little becomes road right if if down the hill from there

if if I can um Ian I can forward you the email I got from Jim Greki Uh yeah, I think I think I was originally on that. Um that that wasn't that wasn't that damn that was the culver right across the tracks. So that has a number that cover right across the tracks has has a number that Kolus has assigned to it. So, but it would be the dam right across the tracks from that and yeah, forward me whatever you can and then um you're asking me to get in touch with the DPW to see if they were uh notified of any work that was done in that area.

Well, ask ask them what they know about it. Ask, you know, may maybe requested that they remove the dam.

U so let's so let's get an answer back on that first. Um and then and then if they don't know anything about that um I I do have uh now the name and contact information for the person at Kolus. I was planning I was planning on calling them anyway uh to talk about you know our general concern um and I can and now I can discuss this as well. I mean there there I mean there there are there are certain um you know exemptions they have

but but I don't think you know they're exempt from the Massachusetts wetlands protection. Okay. Thank you. All right. Sounds good. I can definitely reach out to Ed tomorrow.

Um so um what so I guess the next thing is thema small branch. Yep. So, uh, little to report on that. Liz Scottyers of Oxbow, um, myself and Dave Barnett walked the Patch Hill site on Monday. And, um, I should have uploaded those pictures, but it is a mess at the entry. Um, I can actually I'll quickly pull up the uh, arc. Let me swear. Yeah, it's always been done before. [clears throat] Is that the where the work was done before?

He had done work there. He tried to do it, but something happened that it didn't go there. It wasn't there. It ended up being somewhere else. Well, no. Scott Scott did some there, but uh we got our uh slapped. Dave was going to get a a work force or whatever to go there and then I forget why it didn't happen. No, no, this this long before that. This this this was like 5 years ago. Okay. Um I authorized Scott to to do some some treatment up there. I mean, it's like notably crazy and and the and the trust board went ballistic because so um but that wasn't that was more in the p further in on the

No, it was right. You know, you know if if you go in off of the trail head, there is some walnut and butternut trees. Oh, yeah. It was it was right there. You know, we were That's where we were. I mean, it's like epically bittersweet over. So So the plan is to try to uh control the bittersweet.

Yes. And he uh first he's uh well, I don't know if I can jump in, but he's going Scott is going to identify what's there. The big But I mean, obviously bittersweet is one of the big obvious um um invasives. um non-native invasives um and then uh propose a treatment plan that I think will leverage I mean Dave is really working hard to get us um enrolled in the weed warrior program so he is working on that we should do that

so that we will have a combined sort of you know the the grant will give us some seed money that we may um as a conservation commission have to match in order to pay Scottis The um the grant is like we're thinking a,000 to $2,000. I mean, it's a very small grant, but um still for buyers. Exactly. Or or or a management plan or a small section uh for a section of um a property. Well, well, but is is this grant application to fund Oxbow's actual treatment?

No. Um, it it could be if we wanted it to, but I think we're at the stage where we want to have a a plan like a plan. Okay. So, as I define the preparation of a management plan, I believe so. Were you careless? [clears throat] I was. Yes. I didn't know that that But the management plan would also have a recommended, you know, treatment plan when I'm right. Don't you think, Ian?

Yeah, I'd say that's a good way to frame it. Um I know last time uh maybe in our meetings as well with with Dave um we had been talking about the framing of this and and putting it on Sisma's plate as a combined effort from the town the trust contracting Oxbow's services and um the weed and starting a weed warriors chapter for kind of a training [snorts] and education aspect to it as well. Um so putting that all together I think is our our best chance at um building a strong application and rationale for why we uh need ideally $2,000 would be um good. But the the trust or the commission should probably expect that uh the trust fund will be used um to some extent as well to either match or um

to go over like three. Yes, supplement the the remaining cost for the management plan cuz what we would like to do is tackle tackle that trail head. Oh yeah. Well, as a start, right? Yeah. As a start.

Baby steps. Um, and I was also thinking that down the that I think this is especially if we do get the $25,000 or maybe if we get two sets of 25,000 for two years in a row, which seems aggressive, but um, you know, we we do respond to um, properties when they come up and do the due diligence and all that kind of stuff, but I think we could, um, be proactive and take a look at our properties and have a management, you know, look at an invasives plan or and we could prioritize, you know, we could go through and figure out where the the worst, you know, the best things and then really start taking on, you know, um in a systematic way um you know, battling the the invasives. And I do think we could leverage, I mean, Littleton does it. They have a really good very successful weed warrior program um where they do you know so you can have somebody pulling and cutting and then [clears throat] the professional can be

painting and you know putting on the um herbicide if that's if that was part of the plan. Last time we talked about somewhere with autonomy was was that at Steel Farm. Yes Steelm. Yes. Um, but anyway, so that's just that's sort of like down the road. But I think this is a nice this is a good way to get us started. It's like anyway, I think I think one of the things I I think is in our favor is that we've never gotten a grant from Saskco before. So, um,

we should, uh, we're we're due, so to speak. They do like to give um to spread the the wealth so to speak to uh they're in the water. Um yeah, not we are partly in the waterhed. Yes. And uh Patch Hill is in it is in it is entirely. Yeah. Steel farm was [clears throat] we figured kind of not really in it. So this is a better argument. Yeah. So anyway, Ian is working on that and Scott is going to provide some input on that as well.

Yep. Once Scott gets us the inventory next week and potentially uh some quotes um it'll help us lock down some pricing um and and uh finish our application. And that um that should be should be no problem presenting the final form of that at the meeting at the 17th be it due on the 19th um in for Sysma. So um expect to give that one final look over um later this month. That sounds great. Thank you.

Yeah. Yeah, I know. This is a nice um that you noticed the opportunity and are taking advantage of it. Otherwise, we wouldn't know that. Um, anything else? I think I don't see application review and presentation. Do you have that presentation or Yeah, I I know we're meeting tomorrow to go over it, Liz. Um, largely it it's um Well, do you not have to if we just do it now? Uh, yeah. Or would you rather not? We don't really have to take all. Is it only 8:30? How do we get some?

It is. Yeah. I mean, my doctor that's marching through this, you know,

I can I can I think it'll be good for us to meet one-on-one tomorrow, Liz, and go through it just to nail down the uh the talking points and and how you can go about presenting it. I'll go over what SVT has supplied us with. Um I'm showing limited stuff right here because SVT asked that we don't share the Excel spreadsheet that they had sent us um just because you know there's it's publicly available data but um it's you know people's personal properties um and I want to respect their uh their request but uh essentially they had given us an Excel spreadsheet that narrowed down their priority parcels that come from their land protection prioritization multimodel viewer. So, I met with Meredith uh about two weeks ago to go over this. Um she has since recently sent me the Excel spreadsheet that I mentioned. So, this is a map of all the parcels in Boxboro. It's very useful. um and it scores the parcels with numbers ranking their natural services. You can then go to habitat for biodiversity takes a while to load. Um but as you can see all the darker parcels are higher priority the community conservation as well as farmland. And so, uh, I think there were 45 parcels listed. I took out some of the parcels that were owned by the town. And what I got to was over 700 acres of privately owned land in Boxboro with what I called it significant

conservation or ecological value. Um, and this will be helpful in giving some uh quantitative data uh behind our reasoning. Um because as we remember, some of us may remember, I don't really remember, but with Perkins Woods, the the um land acquisition there, it did cost us a lot upfront. Um a couple tens of thousands of dollars as well as a lengthy CPC uh application um to to provide the funds for that. And and this increase in $25,000 isn't looking to solve that issue of liquidity for land acquisitions, but it's going to put us in a better position to respond um timely to these uh possible acquisitions and not worry about um completely draining ourselves. Also, as we kind of realized during the last meeting, uh we are up for a renewal and update of our um open space and recreation plan in 2027. Um and it might be a bit more costly than the last one.

Obviously inflation, but now we'll be going for a 10-year open space and recreation plan. Um Oh, really? That's an option. Great. Yeah. I was it David was it you who had told me that that's um that's allowed by the state as of 2025 the um

yeah so uh largely this is the only change and I included that language in our in my final slide here but um I I had spoken briefly with Alec today. He said just keep it very brief um and concise. uh go through. We have plenty of points to cover us and um it it it doesn't seem like uh a hard cell uh with all the evidence that we've kind of put together. Um and Liz, we can quickly look over the the Excel spreadsheet tomorrow and um see if there's anything else you think that we can can pull from it and put in our argument.

Yeah, I I actually don't. I think it'll be a What do you see Steve? You've been at the meetings. Um what do you I think it might be a hard cell. It might be because most the other projects are pretty specific. Yeah. Where they hate they hate just having a bond. Yeah. Might be a work zone. Yeah. So I don't think we should underestimate that it's because uh it's in in a lot of minds it's sort of like a sl I don't know if they think of it as a slush fund for the uh conservation commission. I don't know what they think we're going to be doing with it. Hope maybe you can get that out of them. Yeah. I don't see your patch parcel.

Uh, we already have patchel. Well, but there's that that one parcel there. See that one that juts up in the middle there? Oh, yeah. Yeah. The um Oh, yeah. Why is that not there? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's the um wolf. Oh. Oh. Um let's see. It might be highlighted on another one or a higher ranking on another one. So this is habitat for biodiversity. Catch.

Yeah. It would need um what they probably would what we'd like them to do is what the shirtless did like um cut off like separate their property into two parcels and give us the back half. Yes. the wood. I know that one. Yeah, this would be right next to Sherlock Woods. Yeah, there's [clears throat] a little strip that um that is lovely. And it's probably about 4 acres, maybe five acres. Yeah. Anyway, that's So, is that is that on the list, Dan? We'll we should put it on. Uh you're still talking about this parcel?

Yes. If it's it can be on our list and not be on Sbury Valley dress list. Yeah. And we can we can go through um or reading town land like where you get to that crossroads. It'd be great if we could uh but I just but if it's if it's not on um a list you're presenting tomorrow night. Um I wouldn't want and and it suddenly appears later on. I wouldn't want someone to say, "Well, that wasn't on your earlier list." That would be my concern. [clears throat] Okay, we will we will do our best to add that in.

But again, we can uh I think part of the open space plan will be us as a commission prioritize going through the list of available land. Yes. And we already have a prior, you know, we have our own priorities, but you know, it's been five years. We'll go through that process and we'll make sure to capture, you know, certainly the Wilford or Wilbert Wilbert. Wilbur, sorry. Wilberts are over Burrows. Wilbert. Um, okay. Yeah. So, it's tomorrow night. It's a Zoom. So, if anybody wants to attend, it's Zoom, right? Yeah. Zoom. I'll be there.

It is. Yeah. The next uh four or five will be on Zoom, I believe. Does that sound correct, Steve? Thank you. [laughter] All right, that's sort of a related question. Yeah. At the CPC, there's also a project called A Land Connection from 2020. Oh, yeah. There's still money in there. Um, we'd like the money. Yeah, I think we can take the money back up. I already um I already used the money for uh Yeah, that was the bridge, right? Cool. They would like the unused grow back to the if they give it to the trust.

Maybe they'll just give it back to you. I think it goes to the Does it go back to the general fund? Yeah. Well, where is now? It's in a war article. I got a lot of grief. Oh, this will go over budget. Blah blah blah blah. No, no, no, no. Came in under budget. So, I still have I don't Is it $10,000? This This says the total now was $54,000. That was That was the That was the initial Yeah. Yeah. I think we actually shocked that the finance committee wouldn't have sponsored a warrant article years ago rescending the excess. I've been fending them off. Oh, you have? Really? And it's the CPC that's been um after the money.

You know, you're not not looking. I just wasn't I I just wasn't ready to let go. [laughter] Well, if you give it back, maybe I'll be bored, right? Yeah, I think I will be giving you back cuz that's where we paid. That's what we paid for the beaver deceiver. Okay, just and that was relatively recent. Pandy to have a little bit of money. Ah, yes. see pieces are coming together.

Yeah. So there's probably less than $10,000 I think but I the I will be yeah working. Yeah. Looks like Yeah. So far so good. Of course. Yeah. Where is it? Um you know Blanchard school. It's right behind Blanchard. It's that bridge big bridge library bridge that heads to the library. Then there's the anchor bridge that goes right over into the um woods. Sure. And then the beaver to see right where that old damn It was like half out of the water. Yeah, cuz there's no water. Well, I mean there is, but just in random places right now. Yeah. A lot. Yeah.

Not in It's very easy to see. Admire that wall the beavers have built. Mhm. Up. Mask. It looks um like man-made. It is. Oh, yeah. I was right behind the school. It's almost like I don't seem crazy, you know. Again, it's it's Yeah, it's like wow. They're crazy. No, because it's mindboggling.

Okay, so yeah, we will Yeah, I'm sure they could take the money back anyway, but um I'll graciously offer it back. Um yeah, I've been stalling. Ron Bog had been the chair. Um, anything else? Awesome. And so everybody can be here December 17 because that would be a awesome. We'll try close out two too hopefully cuz hopefully the depot road doesn't sound too

Liz. I just want to double check. Did you still plan on being out for some of January? Yes. Okay. I can't zoom back. And you know what? I think I can zoom back. I can't I can't access my email. Oh, when I'm in England, there's it's like a firewall or something. I cannot really I cannot get in my um special. I'm sure I can get on a Zoom call though cuz those in shot last meeting zoomed in from Scotland. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we have friends got that late 2 a.m. There's that, too. I don't think so.

You don't have to call at 2. It's pretty early in Scotland right now. Yeah. So, I will probably miss both because I'm birding for one and then I'm seeing my grandson for his third birthday. Jerry, you're going to be out of post meetings today. Yeah, I will. You're up. Okay. Well, thanks for the heads up. Here we go. Well, we'll finish two things. Yeah. So, hopefully um we have enough people. Yeah. So, if it comes to um hearings, I don't know what what what's still outstanding that we haven't um 75.

Yeah. Is there Yeah, there's nothing really outstanding except for the two that are coming up on December 17th. Is that correct? That's correct. Yeah. Yeah. No, I was just worried. You know, if you're out of number of hearings and then you miss them, you can't vote and just as long as we had a form, but it sounds like the December 17s are just like closing. Yeah, that's perfect. Unless we get some new files. If we get new filings, it'll be a whole another story. in person. Looks like there won't be any loose ends going into the new year hopefully.

And I will point out most boards do take uh a meeting or two off around this time of year. Um where we are having two in two productive meetings I'd say in December. Something that the board that the commission can definitely consider for January especially if we have a pretty light workload. You're the best, right? Yeah, you're the best. Let's pat ourselves on the back. [clears throat] Okay. So, we'll vote on when we replicate that. Uh, yeah. So, you're just This was just an FYI that I won't be here, right? There's no Exactly. Correct. We have our next meeting. We all plan on being there. So,

um, we can we can speak more about how that how January will look then. Okay. Um, I'm just going to tell you I'm leaving um all of these uh uh Dallas and Roy is it? Perfect. Yep. Just put those if you could put those on top of anybody's uh old copies and then 975's signed order of conditions on top of other than that feel free to leave everything where it is.

Placards, chairs, tables, owl. Just make sure you unplug it and turn off the TV. Other than that, there's only one order of business before we I think we have Yeah. So motion close. Sure. Um all in favor? Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you.