Conservation Commission - Regular Meeting

So, I will call the meeting to order. This is the March 10th meeting of the Conservation Commission. Um, first up, I just Mike Speltz wasn't here last time, but I wanted everybody in case you missed it at the deliberative, Mike was named citizen of the year. So, we're very proud of Mike. We earned it. Um, first up is Rock Road Townous. Hi, good evening everybody. Um, my name is uh Paul Chisum. I'm with Kee Nordstrom Associates. I am joined tonight by Dean Navaroli who's with Pagrock LLC. My company is the engineers and surveyors for the project. Um, we were last before the commission here. I want to say it was maybe June or July of last summer. Um the plan that's up on the screen right now is actually the three-page road plan, but we can start with that one if you'd like. Um this one's substantially similar. Uh some key differences between this plan and the last plan that you saw are that the driveway instead of going over to Paige Road, uh it kind of hooked down to the south, it actually now goes out to Mammoth Road. Um and the small parcel, um this was actually two properties that's now being merged into one. those are being combined just to make a slightly bigger parcel and allow that driveway connection to happen. Um that was the key driver here in change on this site. Uh that was done just in coordinating with DPW with um you know in basically addressing Stantex's um peer engineering review letter. Um, and then there were a couple other things uh, storm water management wise and things like that um, that were technical detail comments that we had to uh, modify and just kind of clean up as we typically do as we go through the process. The buffer impacts are pretty similar to what you saw the first time around on this project. Um, at that time

this commission did uh, offer a favorable correspondence for this site. Um, the buffer impacts are basically related to the storm water pond outlet system. Um and then in the very southeast corner of the property, there's a small existing catch basin that basically has become overgrown and things like that. And that area is going to be an area that um just has to be maintained basically per DPW. Um as well as that's an area where the sewer service from the other property 295 Rockingham Road kind of um is is coming through there as well. um as it ties into the sewer system that exists at the at the intersection of Mammoth, Grineer Fields, and Paige. Um and so the total buffer impact on this project is now roughly 1,400 square ft. Uh when you last saw it, I think it was like 13 1,350 something like that. So it's substantially similar to what you saw last time. Um so those were the key changes on this particular site. Um, I don't know if you want me to roll into the other one and we can talk about them together or if you'd rather kind of just me answer any questions you might have about this site first. Um, I'll leave that up to you.

Well, why don't we do questions on this one just so we don't get confused. Sounds good. Anybody?

Oh, we see. Yeah, this looks familiar. Yeah, they've been here before. The impact from the horizontal drilling is where uh that's in the southeast corner. So that sewer service um the point of the horizontal drill is to avoid the a direct wetland impact. So it's going to start on the other property, come through into this one. It's the very southeast corner of the property. Um see if I can do this correct the top one.

Ah here we go. So that is right there. So uh the service kind of comes up and follows this easement line all along the frontage here and then ultimately ties into uh the new gravity sewer section that we have over here. So that that area is going to be right there. In that same location is also that existing drainage infrastructure that I mentioned as well. I'll ask a question since nobody's asking one. Um, is that uh snow storage area typical? Um, is there other places that you might be putting it or is that probably all you need?

Um, so we basically uh have expanded snow storage uh to all along the drive aisle. Um, so like all along the north side here, I'll call it, of the drive aisle, uh, as well as the south side and some other places just around kind of like, you know, the dumpster location and things like that. I do envision that they'll have obviously a little bit of snow storage pushed off the end of the road. We show it in that location as well. Um, you know, hopefully we don't have too many winters like we just had. Um, you know, it's obviously a problem everyone's dealing with, but um Yeah. And so it won't be going into the detention pond because there there will be salt and my experience with units like this is salt.

Yeah, absolutely. No, it there's certainly going to be salt. Um, you know, that's obviously a matter of you don't want ice in areas that it shouldn't be to prevent people from falling, things like that. You want to keep it where it will be. It will ultimately go into the storm water area. really what you want it to do so that it can follow kind of the treatment train that we have set up for the project uh prior to discharging offsite and into those wetlands and things like that. So, I never thought to ask this before, but is there a requirement to to provide a a certain amount, you know, in cubic units of snow storage?

Um, there's not in Londereerry. I have seen some I think maybe one town I can't tell you where it was but I know I've seen it somewhere that there is some calculation somewhere like it they you take however much square feet of impervious area that you have and basically there's some number that they assigned to it. I don't know how they got there. Um I just know that it does exist in some town somewhere. Yep. What is the paved road spur between the mailbox and the dumpster? I don't don't remember that one from before. I'm sorry. What? There there looks like there's a little driveway that comes down on the Oh, west side of the building.

Yeah, this this right here is the fire truck turn around and we've actually expanded a little bit. That's where the dumpster area will be as well. So, that that's for NFPA access. Okay. Anything else? So when you say snow storage Mhm. based on this winter, um that's where your intentions are to put the bulk of it.

I think the bulk of it is really going to be along the sides here. like this is a pretty long stretch that really is set up for it. And then same thing kind of over on on this end. I imag you know obviously it's hard to get the snow from this area kind of in front of the units. Yeah, that's why I was asking. But yeah, that's where I would envision kind of that section would ultimately ultimately get to. Okay. And that's wide enough to facilitate traffic. Yes. Or uh an engine and a ladder to get through there considering snow. Uh well, so yes. So, obviously the snow is going to have to be moved out of the roadway and the paved surfaces, but yes, the fire department's looked at it. They've signed off on I see. Okay. Thank you. Yep.

Good. Um, all right. Okay. To the next one.

Okay. On to the next one. So, this is 295 Rockingham Road. This is just um due east of the last site you're looking at. The orientation of this plan is rotated a little bit. So the north arrow is almost pointing more to the left on this plan where on the previous plan it was almost pointing up. So Paige road is kind of on the right hand side as we're looking at this image here. Uh this was one that um the commission asked us to take a closer look at and come back and and see you guys again. Uh basically the you'll notice on this rendition of the plan um you we have a five unit building and a sevenunit building. The original plan had six and six. Uh, changing it to five and seven actually allowed us to push that seven unit building further to the east or to the upside of this sheet here and get it away from the buffer. That buffer impact last time was a big concern and that was something that we said we would look at. Literally everything shifted along with it. The reason why we had to change it from a six and a six to a five and a seven is because obviously we wanted to also avoid direct wetland impacts and you can see you know we have a a wetland kind of hanging around all basically almost on all sides of that. So to keep in in compliance with all the setbacks and to avoid uh the direct wetland impact to that wetland back there, uh we modified the the building and unit layout and then we shifted everything. I think it was maybe 8 ft or 9 ft something um to that effect. Uh otherwise, you know, the site didn't change a whole lot. The storm water management system substantially similar. Um the utilities and the and the way everything else is set up is similar. It's just everything shifted. um especially you know the guest parking on the end there and the building change and things like that. Um the two areas of buffer impact here that we have are are still the storm water outlet you know condition here and that's really just a function of

elevation. Uh the grades drop off as you get to this wetland in the middle. This is really the lowest point between both properties. Uh and then ultimately everything drains off site kind of down in this corner here. So this is all driven by the fact of the elevation of the pond and just how we have to grade out the site to meet site plan standards and compliance and things of that nature. Uh so that's the first impact area. The impact area we removed completely is any impact, you know, back here behind the units. There's patios and decks and things like that, but we've got 5T between the farthest point in the edge of where we're showing the tree line. Uh, so that's enough so someone can get a mower through there and things like that if you ever needed to um obviously mow and kind of maintain the yard area. Uh, the other impact area for the buffer is down in this corner and basically it's just a clearing for our sewer system is gravity fed all through here down to a pump system and then there's a pressure sewer that runs through this area up to the other site on Page Road. Um that area right down here is probably the start of where they're going to do that small horizontal bore. And again, that bore is just done so we don't have any direct wetland impacts uh to this section of the of the wetland right here. Um then we can kind of avoid that and keep this a little bit messier. It's a more expensive construction method obviously to do it that way but um given the sensitivities there's a lot of area you know not just these two properties that drains through there we felt it was important to kind of stay away from the infrastructure that exists over there as best we could. So um those are the key drivers otherwise this you know it's the same um you know storm water pattern if you will in terms of the ponds and how we're collecting everything and treating it and everything like that. So uh happy to answer whatever questions you have for this one. So what are the total impacts wetland wise and bufferwise?

Yep. So there's no direct wetland impact on this and the total on this project is now um 1522 square feet for buffer impact only. And before I believe it was um a little under 3,000 square feet. I think it was like 29 and change. I'm trying to think about the the details of the regulation. Um I I I know that ex certain accessory structures are permitted within the buffer. So can we make can we hide behind that fact to to put the decks in the buffer? Well, the the the decks aren't in the buffer. Um the buffer is basically in line with where this tree line is back here. So, this buffer is this dash line that follows kind of where we're showing the limit of clearing.

What's the one? This is this is a a soil uh line right there. Yeah. Yep.

So, that's just a soil type line that's important for for drainage and things like that. And Mike, if you could go up one more sheet, it might be a little bit cleaner cuz the topography is taken off. This is a little bit easier to see. Um, we have the tree line. This is the site plan. So, we have the tree line. And then you'll see right here there's a little bit of a divergence between the dash line, which is our actual buffer line, and the tree line, which is obviously, you know, a little bit more shavenly, if you will. Um, but yeah, no, there's no no impacts uh in that area. Um in basically what we have back there are some stairs, a patio, a couple bulkheads. Um this those are typically pl the bulkheads are you know obviously you have to xate around for the foundation. There's about 15 to 20 ft of space for machines to kind of get around behind the building and things like that. Those bulkheads are typically a separate thing that are kind of dropped into place after the foundation's poured. So, um, in talking with the contractor, we felt construction timing wise and sequence-wise that that was a manageable thing where there's no additional clearing is going to be needed back there.

So, you think that that is enough space between the closest deck to the buffer and the buffer? Do you think that's enough space for uh heavy machinery to

not once the decks are in because you're not going to need heavy machinery back there just during construction when they're actually doing the concrete forming and things like that. That stuff won't be there is my point. So yes, that's what will provide enough space back there. in the long term, there's actually a few steps between um you know the the first floor level in the back of those buildings where those patios are. Um and basically that that's one thing that was how we had to deal with kind of the grade difference. There's about a two or three foot grade difference there between the first floor and kind of where the natural grade is so that we didn't have to cut back and have more temporary impact behind the units themselves.

Is the buffer posted? Not right now, but it will be on this. Yep. It's proposed to have some signage. Black dots are the signs. Yep. Correct. Yep. Oh, gotcha. Yeah. And I think there's a note uh calling that out basically uh right right here. So, do these buildings have patios or decks? Um, so patio. Yeah, these are proposed as patios at the moment, but there's steps. There's like a landing outside the door and some steps right next to it. So, in theory, it could be one or the other. and how that moves. It doesn't really matter. The the fact that as long as we stay with they're out of the buffer and as long as we keep that footprint the same impervious wise, there's no additional impact there in terms of storm water calculations.

And the northern wetland doesn't need to be buffered. Correct. It doesn't meet the uh size requirement for a 50-ft buffer. It's under half an acre or whatever it is and it's not connected to anything. Correct. Yep. Yeah. That's really actually more of a um Rockingham Road is off that side and it's Yeah, I think it was probably more formed just as a low point and when they put the road in it kind of caused water from the road to funnel in there. So my I'm not a wetland scientist. That's my best guess, you know, but um uh so yeah, no, it's not it's not connected. Okay, so we're good with that, too. What's that? Just asking everybody if we're good. These are going to be rental units, right?

No, these will be for sale. So, they're condos. Oh, okay. Yeah, they'll be owned, individually owned. So, there'll be a condo association. Absolutely. Yep. Yep. I think I remember seeing a operation and maintenance plan. Oh, yeah. Yep. Yep. There's a full and that's that's got some close eyes on it with the folks in hall in town hall here in Wisconsin. So that's been thoroughly vetted. Um that is part of you know basically the maintenance obligations that although the HOA is responsible they'll likely hire that service out to someone who's qualified. Y So it be one condo association for both plots.

Uh no two separate. They're two separate developments in their entire so it'll actually be two separate condo associations. Yeah. They're not really sharing anything. So, it just it made more sense to They're ab budding, aren't they? They're abudding. Yep. But they're separate properties. Yep. Okay. And while we do have the sewer service that runs through from this property to the next, there's no actual connection of sewer infrastructure. Good. Okay. Thanks. Okay. Very good. Thank you very much. Um, is there anyone here for public comment? Seeing none, we'll move on. Is Wilmer's not here?

Hm. Worth construction. Um, no. They're going to come next time. Okay. Um, so for old business, did everybody get the link I sent to the Dropbox with the Forester applications? There is just an huge amount of information in those files. I I just it's I find it overwhelming. And I was wondering if we I'm thinking should do a a subcommittee maybe three people that kind of compile that in some sort of spreadsheet that you know I I started and I

I found that there first of all we have to look at I think we have to eliminate some of them. Well, that's the easiest way to do it is to take the criteria in our RFP and you know, experience time. Uh, what do I have down here? Um, uh, how long it's going to take them to do it. Yes. Let and, um, and things like, is it one person or is it a team? Yeah. Because I I I'm all done with the one person. So, can I make a quick recommendation that one of the it's kind of standard protocol with RFPs to create a scoring matrix

and you list literally like three, four or five things that are requirements for you and you put a weight next to it and then you like say you say this one's 30, this one's 20, and then you score based on that. So, if there are 25 out of 30 or something like that, good. You want to be on our sub. I'll definitely got a lot of them. I will definitely help. Okay. Um, and the other thing is I think I I just some of them we got too much information there. They're tremendous amount more than we need. Um, more than we need.

A lot of these vendors that will will have standard responses and they'll just munge it into the correct format that you told them to put in. Yeah. I mean 30 pages on on basically we we basically as I understand it what we're doing is like two things that we really want. Uh and I now I can't figure out management plan and timber inventory. It's pretty much what we want to and we need our um tree farm status reinstated. Right. Well that I think that would come as part of the

page. Yeah. Um, I got I got all I got all six of them done, but I force management. I got all six of them done, but I kept less information the further I the more I read.

Well, and there was a variety of pricing structures. Some one at least did an hourly rate and the others gave a project. Yeah. and then one, you know, gave, you know, invoice dates periodically during the process. Um, so I don't know. So Dave, Deb, and anybody else want to be on that? Okay. Okay. I guess that means I guess

um Okay. I could help next month. I'm going to be tied up for the rest of this month. Okay. Um, so the next question is, well, the other thing I was noticing some of these these contracts are out of date already. You know, this the these prices are good until March 2nd. You know, if you looked at you looked at everything that Well, I know that that's the other thing. Once we get kind of the finalists, do we want to have them come in and chat or just or no? I I think I think coming in to chat would be an excellent idea. Technically known as a vendor conference.

I like that. I knew you were on this committee for a reason. Whoever brings the best coffee is pretty much golden. Um, so my I guess my next step would be um do we want meet in person where and when we can have one of these little rooms? I can reserve it if we have a time. I'm You have a day job, right? Yep. So that limits yours. Deb and I are I never know what I'm doing now. Um but at least I know in advance I can reserve. Yeah, exactly. Me too. I'm I'm free after 4 pretty much every day. Okay.

And you've got me all day, March. Whatever you need. Okay. Any preferences? I have to look. Yeah, I was going to say I got to get my book. For me, other than next Wednesday, I'm pretty much free. Okay. Unfortunately, my my next week or so is like busy back and forth and I just I can't remember. Yeah, I'm good. next week. I can't remember which what my where my cut offs are for different Well, and the we kind of need to get on it because we need to respond to these folks in a reasonable amount of time. Um I'm around Thursday. I'm around Friday of this week. This week? Yeah,

Friday is good for me. I have a haircut right after lunch. Okay. Well, Dave can't do till until 4. So, how about 4:30? Give you a buffer. Okay. Um, and I'll reserve one of these rooms and I'll email you after. Perfect. Um, do you want to be on that? Sure. Okay. So, 4:30 on Friday the ominous 13th. Yes. That's always a lucky day, though. It is. Um, all right. I will communicate further once I reserve a room. Sounds good. Thank you all of you.

Well, I just I just feel like I have I have so much personal connection to everything that's gone on in the Musquatch since 1989 or 90. You know, I wasn't Yeah, it started back then. Well, Jean called me earlier today and um he said one of the people that applied was on NHACC with him for a long time. So he has that familiarity and then one of the other ones um was at school with Meg and

Oh, so she knows him. So we have connections with a couple of them. Um, I was absolut I was I don't know if every anybody read into this part of the thing, but I was very pleased to see that Heritage Habitat had three women technicians on their on their staff. However, that's the one with the most words and the most money and the least connection to Oh, well, New Hampshire, but I was just h I always cheer the women on. Um, just one caution. You probably should check with Kristen Hilden. I think you've we've created something that will require um posting in minutes.

Oh, I'm not sure. What do you mean? Like a sub a subcommittee like Oh, okay. Because there's four. Well, if we stuck with three, we'd be fine. Um because all you just can't have a quorum. I I think that's the case. Again, I would check with Kirsten just to make sure. I'll do that. I mean, it's not, you know, she'll do it. You just say, tell her you're gonna Well, I have to talk to her about reserving room anyway. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Just ask her how to work it. Okay. Because I know at the utility committee, we have we have to post every subcommittee meeting. Yeah. It's not a bother to do it.

Yeah. Do we have to post the meeting event? Are they open to the public? Yes, technically public. That's why you say so you p Yeah. Oh, I was thinking of the minutes, not the not the Yeah, but they're the same thing. Yeah. And the minutes can be very, you know, they're sort of like our nonpublic non-public minutes. Okay. Because you can't make any decisions. You're just saying, right, we discussed the foresters or whatever, right? Okay. Anything else on that? Anything else for old business? Well, I don't know. Treasury is is the finances are something you want to talk about. Um

I just we can do it for new business. Okay. Let these folks do their thing. Okay. Um All right. So, that brings us to new business, which Okay. we have anything to give you copies. I emailed you something, but he's going to give us a copy. So, pass this around. They can see a closeup. Okay. Any gentleman want to join me?

Good evening. I'm Jim Isaac and

behind me I have Jim Pollson and Bob Cody uh who are were all residents at the Baldwin in uh Woodmont Commons and we got inspired after uh Jim Folsam did some uh wandering about the area by the fact that there is a bit of an island in the pond there which is referred to by people as the duck pond. I'm not sure how you all might refer to it, but that's kind what they call it. Um, so we decided to call that island Pine Isles. Ergo, the name of this u uh project. Um, we're just early in the stages of trying to figure out who does what and what we do. We're all volunteers. Uh we're trying to engage people from the community, the 603 brewery, the alt uh oak and pine uh development and uh two probably most uh importantly um is Woodmont Commons with uh Kevin Smith uh who uh apologize for not being able to be here tonight, but he's very much aware of what we're up to and uh so we're trying to coordinate obviously with Woodmont Commons since they own the property and uh then also uh with the um London Legendary Trailways folks. So, we have some of those folks coming in for a meeting on March 25th to talk about the trails in the area. We have a large number of people in the Baldwin and other areas, I'm sure, that are very interested in the trails, walking opportunities, and so forth. Um, and anybody here who is interested is most welcome to join us. That'll be 3:30 on March 25th. Uh, and I trust you know where the Baldwin is. Maybe that's where it's going to be at the Baldwin.

It's going to be at the Baldwin.

It'll be at the Baldwin in our in our uh auditorium. So, and and um just to make it clear, this project is not officially part of the Baldwin. Uh we are volunteers who happen to live there and hoping to engage others in the community. Um Argo, our connects connections with the other people I've mentioned. Um and beyond that, I hope so. basically uh and I'm in the process of uh connecting with the building inspector to make sure we understand what permitting may be required. The um the chart going around shows a a red line. This is uh big version of it. Uh we don't have a table here, but I can hang this over the edge a little bit and at least give you an idea. So the fold. There we are. The pink line is actually what we think is the edge of the dry space. Uh so it's our estimate of where where the water starts and where the land ends. Um and of course walking through in the last couple of months, that's variable as depending on the the way that pond rises and and drops. Uh then within that space, we're looking at uh building a trail that goes over to the aisle. Uh we'll need a bridge across to the aisle and then a trail around what we hope will be a wildlife blind at the south end so people can go and watch. There's some heron nests and some other neat things out there um environmentally that we hope people can watch. Ultimately, we'd like to see this become an allp person's trail. Now, that's a long-term objective because we first got to get a trail. Uh we'll have to get a bridge that makes sense and then ultimately we'd like to turn this into an allperson's trail. We may be able to get some funding from

AARP. They do occasional uh activities. They did something here in town in 2018 and I'd love to find out what they did and who was involved with it because it would at least give us somebody who's had experience on that side of uh the operation. Um, what else can I tell you? Um, but I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, any suggestions you might have. Oh, I just should mention one of the one of the challenges with AP to get funding is either they have to have a nonprofit or a government entity to handle the funding because they don't want to give money to people directly obviously. So, um, we'd obviously be interested in a government entity that might be able to handle the funding. Uh, whether it's this entity or some other part of the town would be great. But, so, having said all that, uh, if you have questions or ideas, please let me know.

I'm Deans. Um, I'd like to talk to you offline. Just certainly. Um, and I could do you have any contact information or right at the top of that page. I'm Jim Isaac and there's an email address at the top. Oh, okay. Sure. Sure. But I am also, if it isn't obvious obvious, I'm retired and have a lot of free time. So, um, probably too much. Yeah. No, I just don't want to take up time because I'm interested in the project. Great. We'd love to have you your insight and thoughts. I we really I mean, I'd love to see this become a broader community effort. Uh, the more people we draw in, the more uh involvement we have, uh, the better off it'll be. What's the area of the island?

Um, bullp. What? It's about 300 feet by 200 feet. Is that roughly it, Jim? Let's say two and a half to three acres. Okay. It's hard to see because the water line this time of year, I can speak as something that lived across the street from it for 50 years. Beautiful. Um, it fluctuated over the years a lot depending on when the beavers were there. So, yeah, the amount of water. So, that would affect the island. I don't think there beavers there currently, but it would be neat. There's obviously been beavers there. Yeah, there they cycle. Yeah. When the food's gone, they leave. Ah,

and then they come back. That's why I have a question. Um, would there be a review and approval process through the conservation commission for constructing trails on this? Well, I think you're going to run into dees possibly fish and game. Oh, looking for start taking notes here, you know, input on this. Um, fish dees because you're dealing with a a wetland, right?

Fishing game because you're dealing with wildlife. Um, I personally have concerns about your plans. Um, you say that there's all this wildlife there. Um, herand and nesting birds and deer and whatever. Well, they're there because you're not. When you go there, they're not. They're leaving. So, I hope that doesn't happen. If we we need to find a way to avoid that or else well a way to avoid that is not go on the island but do a trail around the pond which was part of Woodmont's master plan.

They don't own the whole space around the pond. They don't. But that is a more I think user friendly and nature friendly project because you've got the development that's um on the other side that they already have a trail kind of going along in front of them, right? Um all except for the very south end is Woodmont,

right? Um, and I think coordinating with that business park to create a trail on their property might be something that they would embrace because it's a benefit to their business park. You know, giving gives the workers there a lunchtime stroll or whatever. I think that number one, you wouldn't have to deal with dees for fish and game and we'd be happier. Yeah, I think uh it's a bigger project. A key attraction is the wildlife. There's no doubt about that. And

one of our one of the things we wanted to do and haven't done in this map and that money I passed around is to identify where the heron are relative to this because they're not on the island. Have you been Have you determined they're you documented that there are heron nests out there? Uh well we will get pictures of them. I mean well they pass through too. Okay. You don't I mean I've seen them down there but they I do not in a nest. Oh yeah, there's definitely nests up at some of the trees because they tend to be also they tend to be kind of groupies, right? I just don't think I Well, I've been there for two years. This is the kind of thing. This is why we come here to get the right questions to follow up on.

Generally speaking, wildlife is best observed from afar. Yeah, the far is the questions what what that distance is. Um which fishing game could be our resource for that. Yeah, because now we're talking state fishing game and state dees, correct? Okay. Because duck pond is greater than 10 acres, dees has jurisdiction.

Okay. Anybody else have other thoughts? Thoughts? That's why we came here was to find out the kind of questions people have and to try and make sure we understand who we need to interact with and involving trailways. Trailways has experience with dees and fish and game and what a lot of the criteria is that they'll want us to do in order to like cross onto the island if that ends up being the project. Um they can be a little fussy. Well, I don't know. Yeah.

Um, Trevo is also would be another good candidate as your uh financial infrastructure because they they they have it all. They're a 501c3. They've got website dues pay and lots of volunteers. So,

we have that discussion going. So, I I'm trying to just feel out where all the possibilities are. I think to to do it through the town government will would be more complicated. It could could be done. I think uh but I I'm sure the financial finance department probably isn't look for looking for an additional duty. So get and there will be time and effort to get it set up. So I I would I would lean toward them if you can talk them into it. Uh and then you know If that doesn't work out, then can go back to looking at at the town. Um that crossing the the wetland is is probably your biggest challenge, you know, the bridge.

Yeah. Because that's that's definitely going to be a dees interest area. And then and you know you should really just talk to them say here's what we're thinking about you know what do we need to do

see what they say. Um there's probably ways that um you could build the trail to minimize the impact on wildlife. Um, number one, as Deb pointed out, the the water level fluctuates a great deal. You could I don't know if you want to spend the money on a soil scientist, but the the soil has uh tells a longer story than just the hydraology. So, it could look at the soil and say this is wetland soil up to here. And um if it was feasible, there's enough upland there. I don't think there is, but if there is, then one possibility would be to just put the trail on the upland. Um, we have a there's a 50 or be 100 foot buffer that would apply. So, wherever that edge of wed is 100 feet from that, there's a buffer ordinance that heard the previous guys talking about it. Um, and I I don't think that is going to be too much of an issue as long as you stay out of the wetland, but just in the buffer because a trail is an allowed use in the buffer. So, it won't won't be an issue from the town zoning ordinance from that standpoint. But um then another key question is and you could probably ask the town staff this is will you require a site plan

and if if they do then that complicates things a great deal. Lots and lots of steps but an expense. Yeah that's something that you can just find out. They may tell you the same thing is u typely one of the site plan requirements is to delineate a wet the wetland. So if it comes to that'll be an expense you know that's a a trained wetland scientists fortunately it's a fairly small area right

but um and then the question will be do they want do they want it surveyed but if if it so that they can place the wetland on the map so to speak. And just to clarify, that would be through the planning board, the site plan. Yeah. Well, yeah. You the site the planning board approves the site plan, but before you ever talk to the planning board, you you're just going to want to informally meet with the planning staff and explain what you're trying to do. And uh so you you you said you talked to Nick Codner already, right? We've got to query into him. I have not gone through a dialogue with him yet.

So you'll want to do that and he'll undoubtedly send you to the planners. And then so so you need to make arrange a meeting with I don't know if it'll be Kelly Karen. She's the um assistant town manager slash town planner. Planner. There is a town planner as well, but she's the head of the head of the planning department. So, she could probably steer you to the right right person. I just have one more com reading some of the fine print. It's not going to work this year. It's going to have to be a 2027. I'm I'm sure pieces of this will have to be 2027. You're right.

I don't see how you can you get through the process in two and a half weeks if you if you're due. No, we're not. Yeah, you're you're right. What we can do is get some preliminary work done, identify where things are, you know, mark things out, clear a bit of the pathway, but halfway through March. These things don't always work fast either. Volunteers will work fast, but the people you have to talk with don't I my part of my biggest problem is probably going to be to hold the rains back on some of our volunteers. We We have a gentleman ready to build the bridge. He's done it before. No problem. Well, that's good. That's important. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Yeah, exactly.

But we I I for one applaud your effort here and there's a there is a a a balance between protecting nature from people and getting people out into nature so that they are willing to protect nature. And that's the the balance we have to try to walk here. Thank you. But we definitely want to be involved and we definitely are involved. I there's no way we're going to leave you out. Yeah. You know, because if nothing else, we we have access to the resources that could help us.

Great. Yeah. No. Well, you've already given me about three or four people I need to go connect with. Some I didn't think of before. So, that's why we which is already great. Anything else I can do? Well, thank you very much for your time and uh your thoughts and ideas. So, thank you. See you on the 25th. Good idea. And again, 25th of March, we'll be having a discussion not about this per se, but really about the trails that the trailways folks and that Nick uh not Nick Kevin Smith uh are aware of in terms of both what's there and what's planned. So, anyway, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Have a good night.

Um Oh, thank you. What time was that? I wrote it down at 3 at 3:30. Busy day for us because from 6:30 to 8:30 on Wednesday, March 25th is a um is right to know law training. Oh, right. In here. And it's pretty much required for all boards and and how are we commissions? I know that I've seen this on somebody's calendar, but how come this how it's just come into required for us? Why are we just hearing about it now? Because it's three weeks away. It's not it's just not that far away. Everybody keeps making like, well, it came up.

We got an email a month ago from the town manager. Okay. So, I missed that one. Um, what date was that? March. Excuse me for interrupting. Wednesday, March 25th from 6:30 to 8:30. And I believe it's right in here. Um, and I'm reminding us and we'll have one more meeting before that. We'll be meeting on that Tuesday so I can remind you again. Yeah. And what's the actual title of it? Right to know. Right to know. Thank you. I saw that and I said, I really want to see. Yes. I want to be there. I want it straight from the horse's mouth. And it's 6:30 to what time? 8:30. I'll try to find a switch.

It's a lot of fun. We do a lot of these in state level. A lot. Um,

so I think that's other than your

So I just I wanted to update the new people who might not have cottoned on to the fact that we have this other account called the Habitat account which has had several names over the decades, shall we say, and it's always been a fund that accepts money for well back in the day it was our open space protection type of fund before the other one was created. and we decided to put the put the the funds from any logging that was done on our properties that belonged to the town goes into that for for habitat protection. And we've also had uh there was a somebody did some cutting they weren't supposed to do. So, we got the money from that over the years. We haven't had an addition to it. All it does is bring us interest every month. But that's where the money that's going to that should pay for the

um forest management plan comes from. So just so you guys understand what what that's doing, why it's just kind of hanging out there and it doesn't make sense because actually we over the years we discovered that we were always very careful about how we spent our open space protection money primarily for land and having to do with the acquisition of the property. as we found out over the years that that RSA allows us to use that money from land use change tax for habitat protection also. So that's why some of our votes go with that, but I would personally recommend that we use that. Um, and what do we have in there?

We have $108,000 in big change. So it's it'll more than cover it. Yep. So um that's that's what it's there for. Also, we were going to do more management of the rabbit habitat and that's kind of gone by the wayside. We have That's why I'm anxious to get a forester because Charlie was going to give us the state. Well, my point is the state hasn't asked anything of us for the rabbit habitat. They have abandoned that project. Well, that's kind of what I thought, too. So, um, which is unfortunate. And when I was talking to Charlie weeks ago when he called me, I mentioned that the rabbit hat needed to be

cut again. And I said, even though Fish and Game declared it more or less a failure as far as the rabbits were concerned, we ended up with birds that we unexpectedly received. So why not create a bird habitat is just as valuable. So anyway, there's there's enough for both at this point, I think, depending on how exotic we get. But that's and then I this is the fe I just today in the mail I got the February numbers so they aren't in our official numbers but okay and nothing is nothing has changed really essentially um and I can't read this at all.

It's tiny. I usually make it bigger but we have a a million six in change in our cash balance. So, and I haven't heard heard more about land acquisition. So, we're just Yeah. along to see what's going to happen. What did Lisa Riley do? I remember she did something for us. An appraisal. Okay. It's a blast from the past. I know. It was It was nice to see her again.

Yeah. Okay. That's all. Oh, that's really all I have. Anybody else have anything? Anybody want to do minutes? Oh, I got that. I tried to open that thing from Mark West and I could not open it and it wouldn't take the password. It wouldn't take the town email that I thought was my town email. What? It was a thing from two weeks ago, 10 days ago in the in the email. I just don't remember. I'm sure I read it. It was a And it was in a weird system. I don't know. Did you Did you What was it about?

I don't know. Because it was it was so secure that I couldn't get into it. Maybe it was spam. Well, that's possible, too, because even though we're not supposed to get it, I've been I've experienced a couple spammy things. Because who's Mark West? Oh, he's a wetland guy. I was thinking it might have been the the annual report, but that's He submitted that early. We I don't think that's it. Huh. We owe we owe an annual report on the Lithia restoration that he has to do.

But I'm sure he's waiting for the to see what happens. Yeah. Um, yeah, I can't get into my email from my phone. Otherwise, I would check. I'm looking now. This is on my computer. So, I got the same thing you were talking about. Could you open it? Nope. I got mad and turned it off first and then I did go and look up my email and it didn't recognize it. It's only happened to me once, but I got closed out of email and couldn't get back in. Had to work had to work with people here to turn it back on.

It wasn't too bad, but it it took assistance. Password. Didn't didn't know the password. It was very confused. Nobody has anything. I'd move to accept the minutes of February 24th as presented. Second motion by Bob, second by Dave. Any discussion? All in favor? I opposed. Debain.

Mike and Deb abstain. Um, and then just for minute taker reference, um, Jean Harrington is not present and Leo Lee is no longer on the commission. And that's all I have. So, we have a vacancy. No, it just was showing up in the minutes. Oh, it just Oh, should we have We should have caught it. We should have said that before before, but I know what we do. We read the body and not Yeah, the top, but I corrected it on this one. Is it appropriate to redo that? I don't think we need to go back.

Like to make a motion that we adjourn for the evening. I'll second. Motion by Dave, second by Deb. All in favor? I. Meeting adjourned at 8:24.