1/9/1980 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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41 CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING Wednesday, January 9 1980 Meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m, Present: Pauline F. Delory, Chairperson Dorothy G. Studley, Vice Chairperson Barbara Sloane Charles Buckingham December 12, 1979, minutes were mailed out prior to tonight's meeting and were corrected and approved. Peter Durmer and Ken Pecci sat in on tonight's meeting. Both names have been recommended to the Board of Selectmen to become board members as well as the name of Paul O'Connell. Pauline: Re: Mr.. Hennigan, Agent for Sanchez. A letter was received from Mr. Hennigan informing the Board that revised topos have been submitted. A denial was issued on Lots SE43-109 and SE43-110, Owner Douglas & Carolyn Stevens, Applicant, Jean Pierre Sanchez, Agent, Tim Hennigan. Mr, Hennigan: I would like to request the Chair and the Commission that certified copies oftonight's meeting be available to the applicant. Pauline: I also have a letter from Robert Courtemanche in reference to shellfish in the area. And this letter which I have just received from the Board of Health . (Pauline proceeded to read it) Mr, Hennigan: I request that the Chair advise the secretary to include in the minutes the letter addressed to .the Conservation Commission dated December 17, 1979, from Robert Courtemanche, Shellfish Officer, and a copy of the letter just read from Mr. Lawrence of the Board of Health, dated January 3, 1980, Project SE43-109 and 43-110. The denial that was issued, as I understand it, was subsequent to an on-site meeting or hearing with cer- tain individuals from DEQE present. I would like to make it part of the record that the applicant, the owner or his agent were not invited and were not present at that hearing. I think that the fundamental problem that arises here is not so much as to whether the lots are buildable or not. I think the original determination by this Commission was that the lots are not buildable. The question arises is as to whether or not the septic stems to be installed will in any wayp y is s pose a threat to the surrounding area or the environment. I think that it is quite clear from the documentation that you have already received that there is no possibility of any incursion of the contents of the septic system as proposed to enter into the intertidal areas. The Town of Mashpee Board of Health has stated speci- fically that the tests were witnessed and approved. The test pit site locations were ap- proved. The soil tests were approved and further that 90%, as read in the letter, of the existing systems are of the old type cesspool systems. The proposed systems to go into these two projects are the septic tank systems which are, not only by experience but by the Sanitary Engineering Codes, 30 to 50% more efficient than cesspool types. And according to the Shellfish Warden's letter, in a period of eight years of observations, the bacteria and coliform levels have been well below the DEQE standards, Incidentally, this also involves a system that has been at the site that we are discussing now for many more years than the eight years we are referring to. My personal experience in running tests in the area also indicpted that the only bacteriological coliform type counts in the area are a direct re- sult of fecal excrement from water fowl life primarily and not from any human habitat lo- cation. I strongly urge this Commission to issue an Order of Conditions stating in essence