Rochester’s Conservation Commission on Tuesday hosted a meeting full of continuances and important developments.
The one hearing the board opened was for a Notice of Intent from John and Stephanie Sullivan of 485 Neck Road to install a metal, retractable deck in Snipatuit Pond and an access ramp to the dock from the bank of the pond. Applicant John Sullivan explained this seasonal deck replaces a wooden one that has deteriorated over time. He and his wife Stephanie are awaiting word on receiving a DEP Chapter 91 permit and license for the plan.
The board favored granting the project an Order of Conditions but continued the hearing to its next meeting to await the results of this permitting process. Commission member Matthew Bache, who owns such a deck himself, advised the Sullivans to make sure it is a rolling dock with big wheels that won’t disturb the clam beds and to mark “seasonal dock,” not “permanent dock,” on his application.
Next, the commission announced an important update on the Notice of Intent by the Town of Rochester to utilize a harvester to cut and remove aquatic weeds from Snipatuit Pond. As a follow-up to several months of mulling over a variety of alternative and possibly more effective ways to eradicate the plants, the commission will receive a visit from a consultant expert on the subject. Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported that Pond and Lakes Connection, Connecticut, has provided dates they could come in and discuss the town’s issues with the water-choking weeds. The commission agreed to set that appointment for a future meeting.
Between these two actions, the board continued to its next meeting the two Notice of Intent hearings for High Street Solar 1 and 2 at 0 High Street, which proposes work within the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone and the 25-foot No Disturb Zone for a ground-mounted solar array with a coupled energy-storage system.
The commission continued to its next meeting the Notice of Intent hearing to construct a four-bedroom, single-family home with septic system on Robinson Road across from Lloyd’s Market within a 100-foot wetlands buffer zone.
The commission continued to its next meeting the Notice of Intent hearing to construct a solar array on Walnut Plain Road, a plan it previously reviewed on May 19.
The commission met a new potential board member, Norman Bourque, a Snipatuit Pond resident and a dredging expert.
The next Rochester Conservation Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco