Rochester’s Conservation Commission Tuesday had to satisfy a roomful of concerned neighbors as it approved the wetland resource boundary limits for an address on Gifford Lane.
Land surveyor John Romanelli told the commission that the property’s owners, the estates of James and Sharon Barton, want to come up with a value for selling the property, which abuts Snows Pond, and they want to get the wetland lines correct first.
Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly said that as a result of her inspection of the property, she approves of the wetlands line that has been delineated. “It’s good,” she said. “I agree with it.”
Neighbor Michelle Kirby then raised her hand to speak and explained why most of the seats in the meeting room were occupied by Gifford Lane abutters. She said they are concerned that any development of the parcel will adversely affect Snows Pond. Before the property is sold, Kirby said, “more needs to be taken into consideration.”
Conservation Commission Chairman Christopher Gerrior reassured Kirby that this is just a very basic first step, and no development plans of any kind are being presented.
“They have had a professional to flag where the wetlands start,” Gerrior said. “From there, they can say, ‘here will be a lot’ or ‘there will be no lots.’ This is just the marking of the lines. This is not even a step toward any kind of planning process.”
Noreen Hartley wanted to know why the trust did not start with filing a Notice of Intent instead of the Determination of Applicability petition the board was reviewing. Gerrior said that’s because this is just a wetland line being approved. “This is just seeing how much wetlands there is,” he said.
The commission voted to agree with the limits of the wetlands as shown, with Ben Bailey the only member to abstain. “I don’t we’ve ever had to vote to accept a wetlands line,” Bailey said. “We don’t do that. Registered engineers approve those lines.”
In other action, Gerrior announced that a letter from the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District has conveyed a “thumbs up” endorsement of the commission’s plan to clear the sometimes-clogged herring-run area from Hartley Farm Pond to the start of the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race. Kelly said she has started to create a Notice of Intent for the project.
Kelly then updated the commission on her review of open orders of conditions. She said she has found around 50 of them, some as old as 1985. She said the owners of these properties will be contacted to “close them out” with certificates of compliance.
The commission approved the Notice of Intent for an address on Bishop Road to permit the construction of a single-family home with on-site septic system within a wetlands buffer zone. Only the machinery to install the project will have to be within the 100-foot buffer, it was explained.
The commission continued until its June 4 meeting the Notice of Intent public hearing for 96 Wolf Island Road’s plan to install within the 100-foot buffer to a vegetated wetland a gravel driveway, stone patio, walkway and landscaped area for an existing single-family home.
Gerrior raised concerns about an existing shed on the property 25 feet from the wetlands “no-touch” zone. Consulting engineer Bob Rogers said the shed was there when the current owner, Marc Wilson, purchased it, and he could not say how old the shed was. The commission agreed to schedule a site visit there.
The Rochester Conservation Commission set its next meetings for June 4, June 18, July 16 and August 7. It will meet next on Tuesday, June 4, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco