The Rochester Conservation Commission began its meeting Tuesday by approving the Certificate of Compliance for the successful completion of the Plumb Corner housing development at 0 Rounseville Road.
The ConCom issued its Order of Conditions for the senior age-restricted housing complex, with 44 units and a clubhouse, in 2019. On Tuesday, Commission Chair Christopher Gerrior was quick to ask whether there have been any changes to the design plan the board approved.
Project representative Brian Wallace explained that the project was completed in three phases with minor changes as construction started.
“It’s fairly close to the design plans,” he said. Gerrior noted that a resident has agreed to take care of the wetlands vernal pool within the project. The commission then set this maintenance as a condition of the compliance certificate
Next, the commission quickly issued another Certificate of Compliance for the 56 Clapp Road home construction project. The vote came after Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported that everything looked good during her inspection of the site.
The board then endorsed a Notice of Intent for the plan to clear and regrade land within the 200-foot riverfront area at 0 Mary’s Pond Road and install erosion control measures there. Project representative Darren Michaelis explained the property owner wishes to take out trees on a knoll eight feet higher than the house to be built to provide a view of the river shore. The board’s approval vote came after Kelly called the plan a fine spot to place a house.
Next, the commission approved a plan to install a 14×18-foot woodshed on 10-inch Sono tubes within the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone at 214 Walnut Plain Road. The board did so by granting a Negative Determination in response to applicant Adam Lambert’s Request for Determination of Applicability to wetlands regulations, meaning these restrictions do not apply to this project.
The commission ended with a further discussion of the plan to cut the water-choking invasive aquatic weeds in Snipatuit Pond with a Harvester machine or apply a chemical treatment to eradicate them instead.
Gerrior said he had the following update. The $250,000 bond bill filed by state representative Mark Sylvia that will fund the town’s chemical treatment effort has passed the state legislature, as has a similar Senate bill. Now the state legislature is working to buy the bond, which will lead to the town receiving the money, he said. When exactly the town will see those funds is the question, he said. Meanwhile, board members said, this is the Town of Rochester’s and the select board’s Notice of Intent plan. So, the commission needs the selectmen’s approval of ConCom’s recommendations. Gerrior said he would speak to the select board on that issue.
In other action, the commission approved canceling its regularly scheduled November 17 meeting and its mid-December meeting because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Instead, it will hold its next meeting on December 1.
The commission continued its Notice of Intent hearing on a plan to place a ground-mounted solar array system within a 100-foot wetlands buffer zone on Walnut Plain Road to December 1.
The next Conservation Commission meeting will be December 1 at 7:00 pm at the Town Office Building, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael DeCicco