11/15/2007 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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ashpee conservation Commission Minutes of November 15, 2007 J Public Hearings l as h pee Town Hall Commissioners Present: Jack Fitzsimmons mons (chair), Ralph Shaw(Vice chair), Jeffrey cross, Lloyd • Allen, John Rogers and Cass costa and Leonard Pinaud Staff present: Dreg McManus Manu (Conservation Agent) and Melissa Brown (Board Secretary) Jack Fitzsimmons mons called the meeting to-order 6:55pm Post Hearing Agenda: 1 Environmental Oversight Meeting The agent explained that on 11/08 he had attended the Environmental Oversight meeting at their invitation. The iters that were covered were open space and the use of volunteer groups within the town to monitor tern lands. The group,suggested that Conservation extend their jurisdiction to include responsibility for open space. The agent did express interest in pursuing the measure. The Committee did express concern with an increased workload and did state that this had been discussed before under a different agent. The Committee requested documentation on the matter and that the agent read old documents pertaining to this. The agent also liked the idea of volunteers upolicing"some of the Conservation areas and cataloging illegal activities similar to a model used in the Town of Falmouth. The Committee expressed concerns that there are not enough resources to neither organize nor fund this effort. The committee also wanted more information and everyone agreed to revisit this after further review. j Approve Minutes from 10/18/2007 Motion made, seconded and un nimously carried to approve the minutes from 10/18/2007. Revision of fines The committee spoke of raising the fines for after the fact filings. They feel the increase in thea warrants a more punitive positron so that they come through the proper channels. The agent did state that it will be hard to apply fairly due to some people actually doing it on purpose and some not knowing any better. Everyone agrees to review it again at another meeting. The Committee would also like to see the house plans submitted.previously or have a document written that there must be house plans provided at the hearing. The committee has seen ah increase in people not prepared for the hearing who have had to have a continuance because they do not have the proper documentation including house plans. Hearing Agenda 7:00 p.m. Michael and.Judith Welch,AOC—277 Monomoscoy Fid (continued from 10118/07) Kevin Kirrane: Jack Cauley-Landers and Tori O'Neill stood to represent the applicants. Mr. Kirrane described the applicant's amendments to the original filing. The plantings were expanded/altered and he described the changes to the driveway area. He also stated that a survey was done to see what affect the driveway charges had on drainage at Mir. Camerato's property. Jack eauley-Danders went on to further explain that from what'lie has observed the water being well retained by the dry wells and that the pavers do not create any issues for the abutter Mr. eamerato. Mr. Harrington (Attorney)for Mr. eamerato stood to debate those findings. He also stated for the record that he did not feel the original filing represented the driveway expansion accurately and that he had submitted a letter to the agent regarding the flood plain. The agent did acknowledge reppipt of the letter. The agent himself did also go on to state that he saw no sheet draining of water on his on site in the rain and that the depressions in the driveway from the work trucks at the Welch's were most likely the culprits to more water pooling on his property just due to