Since last year, the Marion Conservation Commission has been granting proposed CVS developers’ representatives one continuation after another for the project’s Request for Determination of Applicability public hearing. The last time the ConCom met with LEC Environmental Consultants, reps for developer Mark Investment, was back in October 2014. Since then, the commission has continued the hearing at the applicant’s request for about 10 months – but not anymore.
Before the summer, Conservation Commission Chairman Norman Hills suggested the commission deny any further requests for continuation after the August meeting. And with the unanimous support of the other commission members, they sent LEC Environmental Consultants a letter advising them that if they did not appear before the commission at the next continued public hearing, the hearing would be closed and a positive determination rendered. A positive determination simply means that the project would alter or affect surrounding wetlands, so a Notice of Intent would be required, followed by ConCom approval.
“We have not heard anything from them in respect to continuing any further,” said Hills on August 26. “I recommend we close the hearing and proceed based on that information.”
The commission voted in favor of the positive determination and stated that the wetlands boundary lines were not certified or confirmed by the Conservation Commission.
“So if this project is still alive, they would have to come back to us,” said Hills.
Mark Investment developer Dean Holt did not respond to a request for comment before press time.
Also during the meeting, the commission pondered the identity of a plant species growing on the property of Robert Kaplan at 42 West Avenue. Kaplan filed for a RDA to remove an invasive species from the 100-foot buffer zone to the wetlands, but after a site visit, commission members were scratching their heads over the 2-foot by 2-foot area of a plant that was not a phragmite or any other invasive species they could recognize. Thus began the mystery of the non-phragmite.
Commission members passed around the iPhone of commission member Jeffrey Doubrava, and each took turns staring at the photo Doubrava snapped while at the site visit. No one could tell what the plant was, but the 4-square feet of it did not appear as though it were a concern of the ConCom.
“A shovel will remove it right now,” said Hills. “It’s a weed as far as I can tell.”
The commission continued the public hearing for Clean Energy Collective for the solar farm on Tucker Lane, and for Shea Doonan to establish an aquaculture project off Ram Island.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for September 9 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry
