The Town of Marion Department of Public Works has filed a Notice of Intent to furnish and install 7,400 linear feet of one-foot diameter ductile iron water main under Point Road and Delano Road from the intersection of those roads to the Great Hill Tank Transmission Main connection on Delano Road.
The matter was discussed during the Marion Conservation Commission’s remote access meeting on August 26 at the Music Hall and via Zoom.
Conservation Commission Chairperson Shawn Walsh said that, prior to the August 26 public hearing, ConCom had fielded a number of calls from concerned residents looking for more detail, as digging up roads can cause traffic delays if not detours.
Jon Gregory of Tata & Howard, the consulting engineer on hand to present the project, explained that construction is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2021 with a goal of getting all the pipes installed by the 2021-22 winter with a reopening of the ground and finishing the work in 2022.
Progress on such work typically covers 200 to 300 feet per day, according to Gregory. While the project is in progress, affected roads would be filled with a gravel top during the week and topped off by four inches of pavement going into weekends.
ConCom member Cynthia Callow asked what the pavement will look like during the winter before the project is finished. Gregory answered that the same four-inch pavement will be atop the gravel surface in the dig areas. A requirement of the project will include returning to repair any problem areas.
It was noted that an order for repairs at Creek Road is assumed by ConCom to have expired. Gregory, while presenting on behalf of the DPW, could not speak to the Creek Road situation. In keeping with remote access, public hearing policy, the Point/Delano Road case was continued to Wednesday, September 9, at ConCom’s next scheduled meeting.
Friends of Wings Cove filed an NOI for the removal of phragmites from eight single-family residences adjacent to Wings Cove at 35, 43, 51, 67, 75, 83, 95, and 99 Holly Road. ConCom would like to learn more from the state Department of Environmental Protection. Because the matter was heard for the first time, it was necessarily continued to Wednesday, September 9, at 7:30 pm.
Likewise, the Island Associates of Marion filed an RDA seeking authorization to remove phragmites from three locations: the Howland property at Point Road, the Island Associates of Marion at Beach Reservation, and the Moore property at Island Court. Jeff Doubrava, who serves on the Conservation Commission, represented Island Associated of Marion and therefore was not to vote on the matter. He explained that the plan is to retreat an area previously treated. After Doubrava’s presentation, the hearing was continued to Wednesday, September 9, at 7:50 pm.
In an action item addressed at the meeting, Burr Brothers Boatyard is seeking a Certificate of Compliance for work being done at 309 Front Street.
Walsh told project representative Jeff Oakes that a site visit on the prior Saturday (August 22) indicated that one of the stormwater retention areas (Basin 1) needed some excavation work. “My only concern is it’s really not vegetated,” he said. Oakes had requested a partial Certificate of Compliance and at the time indicated he would come back to Concom seeking a full COC.
Callow expressed concerns that what is being planted will “take over” and detract from the overall desired outcome. “I have no concern. It will look fine in three months,” she told Oakes in the meeting.
Walsh suspects the site will look significantly different in three months so he suggested waiting until the middle of the fall to make that decision. ConCom plans to revisit the site with the intent of issuing the COC if its expectations of recent vegetation efforts are met over the next couple of months.
Several public hearings were held.
A Request for Determination of Applicability was filed by MRF Nominee Trust seeking clearance to replace two already-demolished houses on residential property at 498B Point Road with one new house, the installation of a Title 5-compliant septic system, and driveway modifications. The hearing, continued from August 12, focused on less than 10 percent of the project that falls under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission. No ConCom members or public questions or comments followed and the hearing was closed. Near the end of the meeting, the subject was readdressed and ConCom voted to issue a negative Determination of Applicability, clearing the way for the project’s completion.
Ann Severance filed a new Notice of Intent for work at 20 Front Street. The NOI was the result of a necessary amendment to a 2016 Order of Conditions. ConCom conducted a site visit on August 22. Callow called the wetland replication work on the site “excellent.” The hearing was continued to Wednesday, September 9 at 7:10 pm.
An NOI was filed by Tom Webster for a flood-zone project at 34 Oakdale Avenue, where he plans to demolish an existing cottage and build a new, single-family house with utilities, a driveway, and minor grading. The hearing, continued from August 12, received no further public comment and was closed. Toward the conclusion of the meeting, the case was reviewed, amendments made to lines in the NOI, and ConCom voted to issue an Order of Conditions.
Brett Bussiere filed an RDA to secure a license to repair the steps and wall of a deck at 9 Main Street. A site visit on August 22 yielded an understanding of the need to update the site, originally built in the 1700s. Construction of the deck had already been approved. The hearing was continued to Wednesday, September 9, at 7:20 pm.
The ongoing construction case at 120 Front Street, already continued from June 3, 10, and 24, July 8 and 22, and August 12 requested a seventh continuance to Wednesday, September 9, at 7:40 pm. A motion carried.
The next meeting of Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 pm at the Music Hall and via remote access.