The Marion Conservation Commission on January 13 issued a number of negative determinations for various Requests for Determination of Applicability, as well as a few Certificates of Compliance and an Emergency Certification for the Marion Department of Public Works for a wastewater outfall located off Ryder Road near Burr Brothers.
Conservation Commission Chairman Norman Hills said that shortly before Christmas, the DPW made the request for the Emergency Certificate to address a large hole scored out by water flow, which started to undercut a nearby seawall.
Hills said a Chapter 91 Waterways license issued by the Mass Department of Environmental Protection would be required for work on the seawall, yet he doubted the Town would receive it in time before the Emergency Certificate’s 30-day deadline for work completion.
“If they can’t get it before January 17, they will then have to come back with a Notice of Intent,” said Hills. “But I don’t think they’re going to be able to act on this.” It takes time, he said, to get a Chapter 91 license.
“I can’t imagine what that water’s got to be like coming out of that pipe,” commented Conservation Commission member Stephen Gonsalves, adding that it must be a fast current to cause such a hole. Commission member Jeffrey Doubrava said the pipe being so close to the bottom floor must have something to do with it.
In other matters, the commission granted a negative determination – meaning wetlands will not be altered by the work and a Notice of Intent is not required – for Dennis Luttrell of 25 Rocky Knook Lane to upgrade a failed sewage disposal system, with work being done within the 100-foot buffer zone to a bordering vegetative wetland.
The commission issued a negative determination for Irene Roszkiewicz of 6 Ichabod Lane for the upgrade of a septic system for an existing four-bedroom single-family house.
During the site visit, commission members noticed there were already trenches dug for the installation of siltation fences ahead of approval from the commission prompting Hills to say, “At least they were going about it properly, and they’ll be burying it at least a foot.”
Robert Duncan, III of 122 Register Road received an Order of Conditions for his Notice of Intent to upgrade a failed sewer disposal system.
The commission granted a Certificate of Compliance to Heidi Kostin of 167 Cross Neck Road, for Theresa Barrington of 222 Point Road and Kevin O’ Gara of 565 Delano Road.
O’ Gara was present to address the commission and ask questions, but the main issue with the commission was the size of some boulders O’ Gara placed as a physical boundary of a limit of work line the commission put in its Order of Conditions.
During the site visit, said Hills, “We agreed amongst ourselves that we were going to be more specific about the size of rocks.” Hills said the point was to have boulders too large to move without heavy machinery to mark a permanent boundary.
“We’ll accept the line that’s there,” Hills told O’ Gara, “as long as it stays there.”
The public hearing for the Marion Recreation Department to update an Enforcement Order for work at Washburn Park was continued until January 27, and the public hearing for a NOI for Doug Thackeray for an aquaculture farm was continued until February 10.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for January 27 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry