Rochester’s Conservation Commission began its meeting Tuesday by swiftly endorsing the Notice of Intent application to build a single-family home within the 100-foot buffer zone at 28 Marion Road with a Positive Order of Conditions. This first agenda item of the night was approved quickly because the commission had received what it lacked from petitioner Nelson Bernardo at the last meeting, a Department of Environmental Protection file number.
Next, concerned abutters looked on as the commission approved an abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation for High Street Solar’s proposal to build an array at 0 High Street. The applicant’s representative, Andrew Gorman of Beals and Thomas, appearing on Zoom, asked for and received the board’s approval of the bordering vegetative wetlands and isolated wetlands lines that his firm has determined are on the property.
Before this vote, abutter Tish Ciccotelli of Engel Nook Farms said she was concerned about the protected box turtles in the area. Abutter John Dvorski of Shakey Acres Cranberries said his bogs are in that area and water from there supplies his bogs. “I don’t want to see the topography change there,” Dvorski said. “This is the dry season, and there’s a tremendous difference between the dry and wet season there. I don’t want to see my water cut off.”
“We’re not there yet,” commission Chair Christopher Gerrior answered, explaining the decision before the commission was solely about approval of where the wetland lines are located. No specific project plan has been submitted yet. The commission is aware of box turtles residing in the area, he acknowledged. But that will be the petitioner’s concern when a project is being proposed. He encouraged Dvorski to continue to attend Conservation Commission and Planning Board meetings as the petitioner’s plans develop.
Gorman clarified why the wetland lines were being drawn in the dry season. He said his firm looks for “legacy indicators” that tell them the land is sometimes wet.
In other action, the commission continued to its next meeting both the Notice of Intent hearing for work within wetlands for a ground-mounted solar array in the area of 600 Snipatuit Road and the Notice of Intent hearing for work within the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone for the construction of a floating and ground-mounted solar array at 53 Dexter Lane.
Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported a resident has noted grass growing in Snipatuit Pond. She said it is no doubt Mill foil, an invasive species. Commission member Ben Bailey said the DEP needs to be contacted to help the town eradicate it.
Bailey reported word from the DEP confirming his belief regarding the Dexter Lane project that regulations allow floating solar arrays only on man-made water. But a natural river runs through the Dexter Lane bog pond. The petitioners should change their design, he said. “They should come back with something else and not waste their time appealing to DEP,” he said.
The next Rochester Conservation Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 15, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco