Rochester’s Conservation Commission Tuesday approved the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Notice of Intent proposal to ecologically restore a former 240-acre cranberry bog at 0 Walnut Plain Road by issuing the plan a positive Order of Conditions with special conditions.
The plan here includes removal of berms, culverts and irrigation lines, and filling and re-grading bog surfaces and ditches to the goal of creating “recreational improvements” and returning the land to its natural state. BBC Project Representative Sarah Gonsalves said the independent peer review of the plan has been completed and no significant concerns were raised. “We are taking the property back to its natural state and hydrology,” she said. Project Engineer Alex Patterson elaborated that the peer review’s comments were only on minor details of design. “No significant issues,” he said.
Conservation Commission member Michael Gifford noted his take on the comments was that they were asking BBC whether the plan would make the property better or worse. “Their consensus seemed to be it will be an improvement of the habitat there,” Patterson countered. “Trees will grow in their natural condition.”
Before the approval vote, Russell and Wendy Keeler of Walnut Plain Road and the Rochester Land Trust praised the plan. “I am grateful they (the BBC) are coming to town,” said Russell Keeler. The special Order of Conditions the board set for its approval include requiring a notice of the start of work and the commission to be continuously notified as each phase of the project begins.
In other action, the commission judged a plan to construct a 25×40-foot metal building at 15 Wolf Island Road that will sit partially within the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone as not needing wetlands-protection permitting. The board did so by issuing it a Negative Determination of Applicability but with conditions including the installation of silt barriers at the wetlands’ edge.
The board issued a Certificate of Compliance for the construction of a single-family home with attached garage and driveway at 527 High Street, work that occurred within the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone and an existing cranberry bog. This vote came after Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported successful completion of the new home and lawn.
The commission issued a Certificate of Compliance for the construction of a single-family home with attached garage and driveway at 490 High Street, work that occurred within the 100-foot buffer zone of an existing cranberry bog and within the 200-foot Riverfront area. Here, too, Kelly reported that house and lawn were complete and looking good.
The commission continued to its next meeting the hearing on the Request for Determination of Applicability for a proposal at 756 Snipatuit Road to relocate a drainpipe that currently runs under the house and level a backyard within the 100-foot buffer zone of a vegetated wetland.
The commission continued to its December 2 meeting the Notice of Intent hearing for the construction of a single-family home with associated grading at 0 Robinson Road, within the 200-foot riparian zone to a perennial stream.
The next Rochester Conservation Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco