[0:02] I'll call the meeting to order >> and um

[0:06] » Mike, if you want to vote for Jean >> and um Gary, if you can vote for the

[0:13] empty spot. >> The empty spot. Okay.

[0:15] » And um >> sounds like a

[0:18] » So we have we have two DRC's, but nobody is coming to talk to us. Um so the first

[0:25] one is the 44 and 36 Pillsbury. They're doing um

[0:32] a subdivision and a condo conversion

[0:38] and not sure which pictures I'm going to

[0:42] see. >> No. Was this

[0:45] » It sounds like >> where they were having the

[0:48] » property lines. We saw this. >> Well,

[0:51] » didn't we sort it? >> Yeah.

[0:52] » There's Laura Gandandy wrote us a letter. She

[0:56] said, "Sorry, nobody's coming. This is what we're doing.

[0:59] » Yeah, the letter looks like it's the same number of rentals and the same

[1:02] number of sold of for sales. >> No, it's different by Let me get

[1:08] glasses. >> Yeah, they they moved out

[1:13] almost 100. No, almost a hundred went from

[1:17] cottages to condos. >> Yeah,

[1:21] » this is they were they were calling them cottage. Yeah,

[1:26] » this is a good that go back to that when you just up there, Mike. That was a good

[1:29] way to show it. >> So,

[1:34] you remember that? It used to be there was this line that

[1:40] was the 250 cottages >> rentals.

[1:44] » Rental. Yeah, cottage rentals. >> Okay, that's

[1:47] » And this here is going to be the 30 condos for sale.

[1:54] Now they've taken this line and basically moved it like this. This

[1:59] tortured >> little pretzel here.

[2:03] » Is that where some of the drainage water is, though?

[2:06] » All those cottages that were for rent are now going to be condos for sale.

[2:13] » Okay. >> That's really what they're trying to

[2:17] accomplish here. >> And by condos, are they individual

[2:19] structures or >> Yeah, correct. They are. So, they're

[2:21] still individual structures. >> Yes. You could go.

[2:24] » And the one thing they carved out was that small plot or they're asking is

[2:28] carve out the small plot where the pumping station is.

[2:30] » Right. >> Y. Yeah. Right.

[2:32] » And I don't know if you saw in the packet, one of one of the diagrams

[2:37] showed this subdivision but with the units. So you see where the units are in

[2:43] within that new subdom. >> Right. I think they stayed in the same

[2:47] place. >> They stayed in the same place but it's

[2:49] hard to visualize without >> Yeah. Yeah. If you go back to the one

[2:54] that's got all the units on it. >> Uh, not that one.

[2:59] » Yeah, right there. >> And they all share the clubhouse that's

[3:06] that right >> in the middle,

[3:08] » the swimming pool. And they all all 310 of them with their estimated what 400

[3:17] cars or so >> all use the same access road

[3:23] » right there. >> So

[3:24] » just a little bit before Michael's way with the new stoplight

[3:29] » with the stoplight. >> So who's who's planning this? This is

[3:31] ridiculous. This is what I've been talking about all along is why are they

[3:34] not putting some sense into what's already there and how they fit it all

[3:38] in. That just doesn't fit as far as I'm concerned.

[3:40] » That doesn't make sense for that not to come out at a light if they're going to

[3:43] put a light. >> Yeah. I mean, this doesn't show that.

[3:47] But >> I thought they were going to come out

[3:49] through also hubby or whatever the back road. Go ahead.

[3:53] » I think there'll be a crash gate there, >> but no

[3:57] » no entrance.

[4:01] Yeah, looks like you can kind of see the top.

[4:03] » Who who's planning this? The planning board or the developers or

[4:08] » developers? But obviously planning board will be discussing it tomorrow night

[4:13] » and they think this is the right way. Uh what I judging from the letter that

[4:18] Laura wrote to us that they they have made a business

[4:24] decision that they can make more money selling condos than renting cottages.

[4:32] So they're increasing the amount of >> condos at the expense of the cottages.

[4:39] And there's really no thing I can see that would prevent them from five years

[4:47] from now condoizing all the cottages, >> which was my

[4:52] prediction is that they would eventually condize condominiumized them all.

[4:57] » Yeah. Right. >> Like Mr. Ridge did. They started off as

[5:00] all rentals and then w we can't make any money. We need to condo. It's

[5:06] » ridiculous. Makes me very angry. So, but it's

[5:10] » the the problem >> probably it's a smart move on their part

[5:14] business-wise, but that's not really our issue.

[5:18] » So, are they coming there's a road already there that the farm used to use

[5:22] a long time ago. Is that the little hill road that they're coming down?

[5:27] » They're going to come down this road, but Michael's hay is here,

[5:30] » right? It's >> There's a road there. Yeah, there's a

[5:32] road there. >> Very little road here.

[5:34] » It's steep. >> I wonder because literally leads you in

[5:38] front of the pond basically. >> Yeah. They're using the road that's

[5:41] right beside the pump house construction.

[5:45] » Yeah. I don't know. But it's it's going to come to it.

[5:48] » But that that you know >> a tea with it

[5:52] » and then way >> No,

[5:55] » it's 100 yards or so. >> Well, I mean that's

[5:59] there's going to be a traffic circle here.

[6:01] » T would have been >> traffic circle. Well, I mean, a regular

[6:04] intersection would have been preferable probably, right? But

[6:09] » I'm sure planning and engineering has discussed this with them. So, we're not

[6:15] I don't >> Well, they're just they're just letting

[6:16] them walk all over the town of Londere. >> That's just too many.

[6:21] » It's not what they promised in the beginning. supposed to be parks and

[6:27] » well the those two plans that showed the original 250 plus 60 were approved by

[6:34] the planning board and they are just working off their approved plans.

[6:39] » Correct. >> All they're doing is changing the

[6:41] ownership arrangement. the the problem that I see is that

[6:46] um and I' I've mentioned this on many

[6:51] occasions other small people are you know talking about having a homeowners

[6:57] association is the accountability. So if you are an o owner of a piece of land

[7:04] that has 100 300 or 250 rental units on it, there's somebody to go after, right?

[7:11] There's somebody that says, "Hey, um there there is pollutants that are

[7:17] showing up in the duck t duck pond. M >> I think it's coming from your your your

[7:23] renters and and then you can probably force some action

[7:28] with a condo association that potentially could just be you know a

[7:32] board consisting of three of the residents there trying to manage

[7:39] you know two 100 whatever be over 160 let's call it condo units.

[7:46] It's a lot harder. How many units are there in the Neans?

[7:49] 37. >> Yeah. So,

[7:51] » this is 310. >> There's five on the board.

[7:53] » Well, but they're not all in the they're all not all

[7:56] » condos. Condos >> condos.

[7:59] » But somebody's got to manage the other side the the the rental,

[8:03] » right? But what my argument or my concern I guess is that doing that from

[8:08] the town's perspective and and enforcing the building code and the zoning is

[8:16] easier to do when you're dealing with one owner rather than up to 310.

[8:25] » You know, and and I look at it from the conservation perspective, you know, what

[8:29] you know what happens when bad stuff starts happening there? But

[8:33] » hey, >> it's

[8:35] there obviously other things and I don't know how the fire department agrees to

[8:40] this but >> well and that so that might be something

[8:45] we'd offer as a comment is that it's important that many condos to have

[8:52] a functional condo association. So if there is stuff getting into the duck

[8:56] pond, if they are infringing on the water as they're in there now,

[9:02] » yeah, >> that we know who to talk to.

[9:07] As you say, it can't it can't be three random members who happen to buy there,

[9:11] » right? It's got to be better established than that

[9:14] » because they do not have to observe the conservation overlay district

[9:22] » because they're grandfathered in. >> Um, however,

[9:26] » however, doing a subdivision like this might imp them to be

[9:30] » Yeah, I think it would. >> I think it might.

[9:35] » That would be convenient,

[9:40] » right? It's not >> even though it's is it considered lot

[9:46] line adjustment? >> A lot line adjustment is is a

[9:49] subdivision in the eyes of the law. >> All right. So

[9:56] » yeah, >> it's a good question now.

[9:58] » Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's very appropriate. I think

[10:05] we should ask whether it is the view of the planning officials that this

[10:11] constitutes a subdivision which imposes conservation overlay district provisions

[10:17] on it.

[10:30] I think it'll only apply to the the larger parcel

[10:34] on the east because it's still the the one

[10:37] » that's considered existing. >> Yeah, they haven't.

[10:41] Well, un when they once they add to the existing one, then it's not existing

[10:46] anymore. So, no, I think it would apply to all of it.

[11:21] Do we want to say something about um

[11:27] suggest rules in the condo association debt

[11:34] » require a a professional management company, not not simply a homeowners

[11:39] association.

[11:43] » Well, and most things that size will get management.

[11:45] » Yeah. But that there's no >> require there's

[11:48] » And then I think a third one, third comment should be that um that should

[11:55] keep when you're done. Write when I see you stop writing. Oh,

[11:58] » thank you.

[12:10] Go. The third comment would be that the

[12:14] there should be something in the uh condo documents

[12:21] maybe I think it's the condo documents that prohibits further condoization

[12:28] of the remaining part of that parcel of the c remaining cottages.

[12:34] » Why would you do that? so that there doesn't all become one

[12:38] huge condo association. >> But I I think

[12:41] » for the same reasons >> I think that's the ultimate plan.

[12:44] » But do we have the right to do that? >> Yeah, I think that's

[12:46] » I don't I don't know >> because I think I think

[12:49] » let's do it another way. asked the question when the pl when the planning

[12:54] board approved uh this plan for 250 condo cottages,

[13:03] did they rely on any statements implied or given that

[13:13] that approval would increase the amount of affordable housing

[13:18] in London? And the reason I asked is because it's a

[13:24] lot easier people that there's a reason that young people all rent instead of

[13:28] live in houses because they can't afford the down payment. They can't afford to

[13:32] put the money up front. >> So we we had an opportunity here to

[13:38] house 250 families with that, you know, had at best moderate income.

[13:46] We're giving up that right or that possibility for 100 families now.

[13:52] » I don't I don't think that's a conservation commission issue though.

[13:56] » I know. >> So, but it but it does go to why I'm

[14:00] concerned about the the the kind of association

[14:07] enforcing rules that are affecting conservation values.

[14:29] And this is going to be before the board tomorrow night.

[14:33] » Yeah.

[14:37] » Mike, how how certain can we be that our comments will make it to the board

[14:42] before their meeting tomorrow and that it'll be available to them?

[14:47] » Um, I will try to get it I'll get to Alicia.

[14:53] as soon as I can. Um,

[14:58] I guess I'll I'll do my best.

[15:03] I >> mean, how does Does she normally have a

[15:06] requirement that, you know, staff comments need to be in by a certain time

[15:10] before a >> uh item is scheduled?

[15:14] » I thought there was. Um, I didn't realize this uh this was

[15:19] on the uh tomorrow's agenda.

[15:24] » I think according to the Laura's letter, it is

[15:28] » it is on the agenda tomorrow. >> Yeah. Okay.

[15:31] » Probably why they're not here today. Um,

[15:39] yeah, I know that I did get an email saying they want things back by

[15:47] a certain date, but we frequently get that

[15:52] when when the date is before we meet. >> Yeah.

[15:58] » You know, the cut off, they want it before we even have a chance to meet.

[16:02] So, I

[16:06] » we shouldn't lose our place in the queue as it were,

[16:09] » right? >> To get our information in.

[16:11] » Correct. >> Do you plan on attending the meetings or

[16:13] » Yeah, I think I might

[16:17] » bring your notes. Well, yeah, especially about the um

[16:23] conservation overlay >> issue because I think that's a big deal

[16:28] » because they've got some units that are in the the house is in the overlay.

[16:41] » Actually, now that I think about it, um

[16:46] I'm potentially in a butter. I think I think

[16:52] I've gotten a better letter. So, I'd like to recuse myself from the vote on

[16:59] this. And >> well, we don't have to vote. We're just

[17:01] commenting, >> right? But, you know, consider my

[17:04] comments to be of a private citizen. >> Right.

[17:13] » All right.

[17:19] Good. On to the next.

[17:50] I wasn't clear how this one changed since the last time we saw it.

[17:54] » Well, we asked them to move their water line or sewer line. I think it's water

[18:00] line to go through the narrowest part of the wetlands and they show that they've

[18:05] done that. >> Okay.

[18:06] » I believe is what has >> that sounds right

[18:08] » transpired. >> And we asked them to move the entrance.

[18:12] » Yeah. which is unfortunate because there's a spectacular maple tree.

[18:19] » What? >> A spectacular maple tree right on the

[18:22] front of this property that I hope they can preserve.

[18:26] » And we asked them to move the entrance closer to that tree.

[18:30] So,

[18:35] » I >> I'm still going to ask them to try and

[18:39] preserve

[18:43] that tree. >> The other thing is there is a a fairly

[18:47] significant um buffer

[18:53] encroachment that accommodates their storm water

[18:58] basin, >> right?

[19:00] » That I mean to me it I I I don't I guess we'd have to look up and see what our

[19:07] our comments were. I know that we pointed that out. Um,

[19:14] » yeah, >> that that that first unit on the

[19:19] northeast corner

[19:23] shouldn't really be there. >> Didn't you have either the minutes or

[19:27] something that showed our comments included in the packet that you sent us

[19:32] » um >> from when they came last time?

[19:35] » It's not in the packet.

[19:40] Not in the >> No, that was um part of the email that

[19:43] he sent me.

[19:48] » And do you know do you remember when or do you know when they last came?

[19:55] » I can I can grab it >> because if you have a date I might have

[19:59] the picture of our comments.

[20:17] January 14th and November 25th

[20:22] of last year >> of 25.

[20:26] » Yeah. >> Yeah.

[20:30] » Really? >> That's nice.

[20:44] Apparently, they still don't have planning board approval if this is a

[20:49] DRC, right? >> Correct.

[20:55] » I don't have anything in November.

[21:10] I could be wrong. Okay. >> It changed quite a bit between the first

[21:13] two meetings. >> Um, so in January of 24, no, December of

[21:20] 24, >> some reason it's No, I don't know. Oh,

[21:25] January 14th of 25. Our comments were we will need or they will need conditional

[21:33] use permit. Um recommend reducing the buffer impact

[21:38] created by the detention pond. Buffer signs need to be installed prior to

[21:42] construction. Pull houses away from buffer on lots four and two.

[21:49] » Four and two. One, two. That's one, two, three, four.

[21:59] I think lot isn't lot one the one I'm talking about right?

[22:04] » Yeah. Lot lot one is the northeast corner.

[22:06] » Yeah. >> Two is the southeast corner.

[22:11] » I mean we're talking about the little coass here.

[22:15] » Not you know some nondescript little perennial or you know

[22:20] » right >> seasonal stream.

[22:25] There's also, you know, the 100 foot flood plane. I

[22:30] don't know what's going to happen when we have the 500 foot 500year

[22:35] flood.

[22:40] » Yeah. This we must have in the November version

[22:45] mentioned the move the pipe to go through this narrowest part of the

[22:49] wetlands. >> Yeah.

[22:50] » Because that comment isn't on there.

[23:09] It would be nice also to review the conditional use permit application,

[23:16] see if everything still applies.

[23:29] There's the crossing.

[23:35] Another

[23:41] thing that I know there's that the corner on the

[23:48] little lot on the northwest corner >> that they cut off

[23:53] » that they cut off and previously sold or developed. I'm not Is there a house

[23:57] sitting there now? >> So yeah, on the plans it looks like

[24:00] there is. >> Yeah. So at at the time they did that

[24:04] in a way they shot themselves in the foot because now they forced themselves

[24:10] to run a sewer line >> to that lot

[24:14] » to that lot or just use a septic field which for some reason they maybe they

[24:19] can't do because of the you know the proximity of the wetlands.

[24:25] It shouldn't be it shouldn't be our problem

[24:29] that they that they put themsel painted themselves in that corner and that we're

[24:34] now have to make concessions to them to put put this sewer line in.

[24:48] Is it it also impacts them a little bit farther up toward the road? I think

[24:59] so. Maybe we could say something like the commission remains concerned about

[25:05] the unduly large impact

[25:10] to the buffer to Little Kohas stream Brook

[25:16] » and that would include the area in the from the what the detention pond is

[25:20] impacting. >> Yes. Yeah. You can you can say by the

[25:25] extension pond or the storm water structure.

[25:41] There's a at at the end of the stack of slides, there's a thing that

[25:50] just shows the wetland impacts.

[25:54] Well, we have a buffer impact policy that requires

[26:01] » mitigation >> mitigation,

[26:02] » but we don't state what that mitigation is,

[26:05] » right? >> So,

[26:07] » we well, we we give them a list of suggestions

[26:11] » spec specific to their location, >> right?

[26:15] » Do we have any suggestions?

[26:20] Well, I think part of our consideration at the time was the fact that they are

[26:24] donating

[26:28] a strip of land on the east side to the town to be added to the cemetery.

[26:33] » They donated it or sold it. >> No, I think they don I think it says I

[26:37] think not on the plan says to be donated.

[26:46] Yeah, I think we that or to be transferred,

[26:49] » you know, discussing that concept, >> right? Because it was a win-win. They

[26:55] needed to get rid of they didn't didn't have a use for it,

[26:59] » right? And actually, you can't bury people in a

[27:02] wetland either. So, but it makes I'm okay with that.

[27:06] » At least it makes a buffer, you know. But I but I think this I think to my

[27:13] original comment that we continue to be re you know concerned about the unduly

[27:18] large buffer impact from the storm water structure in the norththeast corner.

[27:27] » But if we do that and they move it out of the buffer, they're going to move the

[27:32] entrance. Oh, >> they they'd have to give up that unit. I

[27:35] think that's the only way they can do it that I can figure out.

[27:39] But maybe, you know, hey, they're smart engineers. They've got this far.

[27:52] So, we mentioned perhaps

[27:56] that first unit needs to >> Yeah.

[27:59] » be eliminated. >> Yeah. If Yeah. If there is no other

[28:04] engineering solution, consider eliminating that unit.

[28:22] There goes my tree.

[28:32] They haven't cut anything down for three years yet. So,

[28:34] » no, somebody's been dumping trash and used furniture on their lot.

[28:49] Good

[28:53] as can be.

[28:58] It's hard to believe that putting all those units in there close to that

[29:02] wouldn't have some sort of impact with all the fertilizers and the run.

[29:10] » Yeah.

[29:26] Okie do. Um,

[29:34] we have a public hearing. Um,

[29:39] regarding the acquisition of 144 Rear Wildwood Road.

[29:44] Um, I did have comments from one resident.

[29:49] Why would we pay for land that can't be built on because it's worth nothing?

[29:55] Worth a little bit. According to the assessor,

[29:59] my observation as well.

[30:05] » Yeah, I think still go through the slides and then people that are at home

[30:09] can watch can see it.

[30:20] Is that in our file here or not? >> Oh,

[30:23] » yeah. >> Is it?

[30:24] » Oh, yeah. I put it in there. >> Oh, good.

[30:26] » It's under hearing slides.

[30:35] » Ah, yes. Thank you.

[30:40] » You having trouble opening it, Mike? Uh it's

[30:44] » thinking >> thinking yeah very slowly but there's a

[30:48] percentage slowly going up.

[30:54] » Must be too many people checking election returns.

[30:58] » Right.

[31:02] » I made the mistake of trying to go in there just as the school buses were

[31:05] coming out. >> Uh I bad timing. I left just as they

[31:11] were getting ready to come out. Hot on my tail.

[31:15] » I went in the morning. That was my my and it was perfect.

[31:18] » Just driving me crazy. Should be using SharePoint.

[31:24] » Do you want to like do the minutes or something while this loads? I don't know

[31:27] how long this is going to take. >> Multitask.

[31:31] » Yeah.

[31:37] » 65%

[31:44] Oh my god, there's so many.

[31:49] » Oh, here we go.

[31:52] » All right, >> got it.

[31:57] » I think I'll I'll talk from up there uh just because it might help people at

[32:02] home. Okay, >> it takes

[32:09] » Well, the purpose of this public hearing is to uh get a folks opinion on whether

[32:18] we should proceed with a project on NAP 3 lot nine and we are located just off

[32:26] of uh Mammoth Road on the on where Blackbrook heads on down toward South

[32:33] Um,

[32:37] this is just a a picture of the brook. Typical. Uh, the interesting thing about

[32:42] this brook is it is like this. Now, I intentionally went in

[32:49] the driest possible time that I could find in August because it's a jungle out

[32:55] there. Uh, and I wanted to see what was what

[32:59] was going on on the ground. But according to the the owner, the this

[33:04] thing expands out into its flood plane and almost fills the entire area that

[33:11] I'll show you on the next slide. Go ahead.

[33:14] So, this is this is the parcel that we're talking about here. And it

[33:19] actually comes in two pieces. There's another little sliver of it right here.

[33:25] And you see here's Mammoth Road and right up there is the underpass where it

[33:30] goes under Mammoth Road off of um

[33:38] sawmill property. So, and you can see that it's pretty

[33:42] much all marked as wet because it truly is. And basically I uh this I am using

[33:50] the survey that the subdivider of this land

[33:55] had and this land down here. So, we have a survey on on both sides of it. This is

[34:02] a stream that's easy to identify on the ground, this little segment here.

[34:07] And it is all u very densely vegetated. Next slide, please.

[34:17] You see that here? That might pop a little bit.

[34:23] So, the you can see that there there's houses

[34:27] all along here. In most cases, they're back a little bit, which is great. I

[34:34] know down on this side, they're they're back a lot farther.

[34:38] And that is good because the extent that they are fertilizing, and I'm sure they

[34:43] are, they're we're treating that that fertilizer as

[34:48] it it comes off and slopes down into the this little basically it's a it's the

[34:55] flood plane. When the surveyors did this survey, they

[35:01] uh used the wetland bound as their their rear bound which was, you know, handed

[35:08] down from property owner property owner. But basically, there's only one other

[35:14] property that goes from here all the way down to

[35:19] South Road, and it's shaped looks kind of like that, only longer, and it's

[35:24] longer than this by quite a bit. Interestingly, the the uh assessor's

[35:31] data card says this is only one and a half acres, but that's not possible

[35:37] because like this is probably a typical one and a half, two acre lot here. And

[35:42] you can see how you could fit quite a few of them. So, we're probably talking

[35:45] five or six acres, something like that. But then as the question, well,

[35:52] let me go to the next slide. This is a typical if you like jewel weed

[35:59] which is what this stuff is that orange here

[36:01] » it's pretty >> it's everywhere and it is so thick you

[36:05] can barely walk through it but it's very typical. So it's a combination of this u

[36:11] low hang a low growing herbaceous uh material and then trees that are growing

[36:20] you know closer up along the sides of the bank. This probably represents the

[36:25] area where it it's flooded enough during the spring and the winter that trees

[36:32] can't get established. Um,

[36:36] next slide, please. There's some pictures of the

[36:42] the stream that it when it c you can if you look up carefully here you can see

[36:48] there's like a light area >> and that's light because that's Mammoth

[36:51] Road and it's just the light that's opened up coming down Mammoth Road. So

[36:56] it's you can see it's very bouldery down here. I'm not sure if if all this is

[37:00] partly was from construction when they um you know originally built Mammoth

[37:06] Road or or what? But it's um it it's changes very uh rapidly from

[37:15] this bouldery configuration to the earlier gravel bed stream that I showed

[37:20] you before. Um

[37:24] next slide please. So I want to get down to the question

[37:31] why do we want to do this? Uh the short answer is to protect

[37:38] um Black Brook from whatever may happen in the future and to continue uh a a

[37:46] long set of protections that are along the

[37:50] brook. So Blackbrook is actually a part of this watershed here

[37:56] number seven up here. It goes down into Hudson. But the black brook itself

[38:05] dumps off into the beaverbrook before it, you know, heads heads on further

[38:12] out. So this is one of, if you look at, you can see this is one of the the

[38:17] longest brooks. The starts right up in here, pulls all

[38:23] the way down here into Brook. One of the longest stretches of

[38:28] stream that we have. That's entirely in London area.

[38:33] And I just trying to this here is this, you know, piece here. Trying to show you

[38:41] what among all of the other subwaterheds that are in London area.

[38:46] And you can see, you know, they pretty much all leave town, right? They go this

[38:52] way to the Marramac River, you know, through Hudson or Lichfield. They go

[38:57] this way into Derry and then back down Beaverbrook that way. This one is pretty

[39:03] much stays in London area except for this part here and then you know goes

[39:08] down into Hudson. Next slide. So the nice thing about this project is

[39:15] that it continues a lot of work that we've already done. This is the uh this

[39:22] black dark line. That's Blackbrook just and going all this is from our

[39:29] water study by the way these many years ago

[39:33] » with the you know that's some of the tributaries showing on it and here's

[39:36] where it flows in this is beaverbrook coming down here shows where it goes in

[39:43] but if you look you'll see that most of this brook is protected you know it

[39:48] starts up on the ever source where the you know if you were going up Um,

[39:57] not high range cross between Mammoth and High Range. The

[40:02] » Adams >> Chest. Thank you. There's there's a

[40:06] power line there and just that power line is kind of where the headarters

[40:11] are. It comes down comes past behind the schools and that's all controlled by the

[40:17] school district. Airross has the other part. We got uh then we got the the

[40:22] orchard land. Then we have the SD conservation easement and then we would

[40:27] be adding this parcel here. Here's Mammoth the road. So it's this area

[40:34] right in here and then um the town of London area owns a strip of

[40:41] land that protects Beaverbrook. So all we're trying to do here is add to this

[40:49] stream of protected areas one more little little piece here and and make

[40:56] sure that in the future if you know 100 years from now, 50 years

[41:00] from now, 20 years from now, something happens so that yeah on either side and

[41:05] somebody gets a great idea to knock down some houses and do something else, we're

[41:10] going to have an interest. We're going to have a control. We we could go in

[41:13] there. We also have as as being land owners the right to go in there and and

[41:18] inspect it and make sure there's nothing untored going on. And we did find that

[41:26] it was in pretty good shape, but most of the butters have respected it pretty

[41:29] well. It's really so thickly grown in that there there isn't a lot of

[41:37] bad stuff you can do. you know, a few things thrown over the fence that we

[41:40] were able to replace back on the side that they should have been on, but um

[41:45] generally speaking, they're pretty good. Taken pretty good care, which is

[41:49] great. And now what we want to do is make sure it continues to be taken care

[41:53] of. Next slide, please.

[41:59] One more view of it. You can see here, it's a gravel bed, right? And then you

[42:05] can see up here there's more silty uh material. What's happening is the

[42:13] the spring flood scour this out and then drops what it picked up along the way

[42:20] and the part that's or the river when the water slows down. So it's a actually

[42:25] a great conservation um hydrogeeomorphology

[42:31] teaching tool if you wanted to to use it that way. Um so but the details are the

[42:38] uh assessor carries it at a value of $23,300.

[42:43] The owner has said that he is willing to accept the excess excess value,

[42:50] you know, would cost us a quarter of the purchase price if we're trying to get it

[42:54] appraised. So, it just doesn't make any sense. But he also agreed that if there

[42:58] are any transa transaction costs that we incur u that he would be willing to

[43:07] reduce the price to match that transaction cost.

[43:11] » What could that be? Well, it could have been a survey. It's

[43:15] and I suppose it still could if the lawyers don't like my approach to

[43:19] describing this. >> Like I said, I'm relying on those two

[43:23] surveys on either side as as sufficient to to describe this, it's really a very

[43:29] low risk. And then um you know that if they decide that they want to

[43:36] have a legal review um on it that you know

[43:41] and unfortunately the town is not doing well on its legal account right now.

[43:46] » So uh and they may ask us to you know do that.

[43:52] » So you know there could be a few hours of legal review. Um but

[44:00] It ought to come out very close to $23,000, I think. And as I pointed out

[44:04] earlier, the deed says one and a half acres. It seems like there's a lot more

[44:08] than that. It'd be good, Mike, if you could uh query the database, you know,

[44:14] for the lot map, you know, the property

[44:19] database, not assessor's database, but the database attached to your, you know,

[44:24] your data layer. >> Yeah.

[44:25] » And tell me what it thinks that area is how big that is.

[44:31] » Yeah, I can do that. >> Yeah, the deed may very well just copy

[44:34] what's there because it makes it easier for a title researcher to follow when

[44:42] the acreage doesn't change. But, uh, probably be my most

[44:48] » a lot of times the acreage isn't referred to in the deed.

[44:51] » Yeah. Yeah. Possibility too. >> They just do the meats and pounds and

[44:55] and not mention >> as shown on plan or something like that.

[44:58] Uh so we'll see. But uh that's the idea. So

[45:04] uh the intent here was to allow the public to tell us their thoughts. We

[45:08] have the one I guess response saying why are we buying land that's already

[45:12] protected? But really it isn't protected. It's it's right now it's

[45:16] depending on the good graces of the neighbors.

[45:18] » And what we want to do is is have some ability to go in and control it.

[45:24] So other than that, without any other comment, the next step is for us to then

[45:30] as a commission make a recommendation to the town council to uh allow us to

[45:36] purchase the property using our our conservation funds. And we have more

[45:40] than sufficient funds on hand to to do that.

[45:46] So bring it back to the commission and they

[45:50] can ask questions if they take a vote. Any

[45:56] questions? I think it's great.

[46:07] » Anybody? >> Yeah, I think it's great.

[46:10] » Very informative. No disagreement. I think it's a good

[46:13] idea. >> So, we could use a motion to

[46:19] » that we recommend the town council purchase map three lot nine as outlined

[46:26] in the slides. >> Second.

[46:33] » Any further discussion? >> No.

[46:36] » All in favor? >> I

[46:39] » opposed. Abstain. Motion pass unanimous. >> The town database does list it at one

[46:46] and a half acres. >> Does it?

[46:50] » Huh. But but I agree with your visual that

[46:52] » Yeah, that's the assessor's database you're looking at though, I think.

[46:56] » Yeah, >> you can't you can't get at his database,

[46:59] » right? I'm looking at the >> mere mortals.

[47:03] » I'm looking at the one that's on the town website.

[47:04] » Yeah. No, that has to be the same as the deed.

[47:07] » Okay. >> All right, that's good. Um,

[47:12] so we can move on to old business. Um, trail work. Um, our friend Josh Cook,

[47:20] who used to be on the commission, who works with Trailways, is um rounding up

[47:26] the troops to help do a trail workday on the Matis Trail. So, we've got some

[47:33] power tools and he's just lining up some bodies. Hopefully, he'll give me a date

[47:40] and then I'll I'll let you all know, anybody who wants to join in some weed

[47:45] whacking. We can

[47:48] get that all cleaned up. >> I got it opened as far as the where the

[47:52] map box is back on the edge of the woods.

[47:55] » Oh, good. >> It's it's it's single track. You get

[48:00] through it walking. You get through it on a bike, but I didn't go all the way

[48:05] down. >> Yeah.

[48:06] » And usually that stayed passable, but I haven't been down there for a couple

[48:09] years, and I don't know what it looks like down there. It It was a green hell

[48:13] up on the flat. You just you you couldn't even tell it had been there.

[48:16] There was a trail there. >> Well, and and that was I think that I

[48:20] mentioned last time. Is it overgrown because no one's using it or no one's

[48:23] using it because it's overgrown? >> Yes.

[48:26] » You know, so maybe if we make it not so angry looking, people will

[48:34] » Yeah. >> It was it was popular with the mountain

[48:36] bikers. >> Yeah.

[48:39] Um, and >> so we really should send a quick note to

[48:46] for fish and game. Um,

[48:51] let me see if I can figure out the right off.

[48:54] » Okay. Because I was going to say once we have a date.

[48:56] » Yeah. >> Let them know what our plans are.

[48:59] » Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Right. Good idea. In the meantime, I'll I'll try to

[49:03] find a uh an appropriate email and I'll send that

[49:07] to you and then you then it'll make it easier to

[49:10] » All right.

[49:14] » Which I am having a Zoom call with someone from fish and game on Thursday

[49:21] regarding the rabbit habitat. >> Oh. So he just his initial email was he

[49:29] wanted to talk to me about what we'd like to see. So

[49:35] » I thought that was great because >> you know in combination with our

[49:41] forester that is about to give us his plan. We'd like to get in there and

[49:47] recut that. >> Yeah. Well, that's what what we went

[49:51] into the project thinking we would have to do that,

[49:53] » right? But yes, you know, I understand the bunnies

[50:00] that project was less than successful, but the birds came, so let's let's, you

[50:08] know, >> keep that going and and maybe

[50:12] » get better. >> Yeah. Yeah,

[50:15] » absolutely. >> Timing will be everything in that

[50:17] regard. because that's I mean if you've been out

[50:21] there even the the the last one that was cut I believe was the Cooper.

[50:28] It's it really needs cut >> dense now.

[50:31] » Yeah.

[50:35] which relating to that, there's a the Cooper parcel has power lines and

[50:42] there's a Eversource gate right on Lichfield Road

[50:47] and the gate is not locked so it's frequently open and I don't know who

[50:54] who to get to lock it. >> I think those locks belong to

[50:59] Eversource. >> Yeah.

[51:00] » Yeah. >> Glenn had keys for him but

[51:02] » Yeah. Well, I I actually have a key. There's just no lock.

[51:06] » Yeah. Yeah. >> So, somebody keeps opening it and going

[51:09] in there, but I don't know what they're doing. I think they're just driving

[51:13] right through Wattsbrook, which >> Yeah, I'm sure

[51:16] » is not making me happy. >> ATVs probably.

[51:19] » No, fullsize trucks. >> Oh,

[51:22] » I think they're I think they're going through pickup trucks,

[51:27] » but can't prove it. So >> if you talk to um maybe Tanya Pinter

[51:34] might be able to tell you. We have a a Ever Aversource

[51:39] » contact >> contact point.

[51:40] » Well, I was going to ask the the conservation ranger if he has Glenn's

[51:46] » Yeah. Right. >> contact list

[51:50] » because I mean we've met this person before. It's it's a a guy now. I can't

[51:54] remember his name. used to be another lady but

[51:58] » oh yeah >> their job to work with towns and then in

[52:01] they >> right

[52:02] » London area is in that guy's portfolio >> and then a lot of it a lot of it too

[52:09] » I had some business cards maybe

[52:17] » but that would be the person to put you in contact with yeah rightway people

[52:23] » it it seems like a good idea to lock that gate cuz they added big stumps and

[52:31] boulders on either side of the gate to keep people from going around. So, they

[52:36] recognize it's an issue, >> right?

[52:38] » But we just need that lock back on that gate. So, yeah, I'll work on that.

[52:48] If if you're going to be talking to fish and game about rabbit hat, that's that's

[52:54] probably close to where we want to be for the trail work.

[52:57] » Matthysse. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, if you could just say while

[53:00] you're talking, by the way, we've we have this agreement with you to maintain

[53:03] this trail. Just letting you know >> we're going to do that.

[53:07] » Do that. Okay. That might be sufficient. >> If not, he I'm sure he can say

[53:11] » Yeah. You got to talk to Yeah, exactly. Good.

[53:18] All righty. Um, anybody have any other old business?

[53:22] » I had mentioned last meeting that Hickory Hill kiosk was inaccessible.

[53:27] To my surprise, I found that some people were hacking their way in there to get

[53:30] to some maps. So, so I cleared it out today.

[53:34] » I emailed Dave Wallally and I think DPW is a little busy right now. Yeah, which

[53:41] I get. Um, but I'll circle back because I think the flooding on the beavers is

[53:50] » more pressing issue. But >> anyhow, as of today, you can follow the

[53:57] trail from the old parking lot to the kiosk and you can follow the trail from

[54:00] the new parking lot to the kiosk. Okay. >> I don't know that people will, but you

[54:03] can >> without being a tick farm,

[54:08] » right?

[54:12] Anything else? >> Uh, I tried to get in contact with the

[54:17] owner of the penny the old penny fence company. I can't remember the new name

[54:21] of it now. >> Yeah, I can't either.

[54:23] » Oh, yeah. >> To see if they would talk to us about

[54:26] cooperating on providing parking for Lithia Spring. And I haven't heard

[54:32] anything back. So, I'm going to have to try to find another

[54:39] way to work around that. may involve

[54:44] kicking the can up upstairs a little bit. I think eventually I'll someone

[54:49] will get their attention.

[54:53] » So

[54:57] » any other old >> Oh, actually I should also mention they

[55:00] had promised that the trail uh grants would be announced in August. as far

[55:06] either they're either we lost so bad that they're not even bothering to tell

[55:10] us or they haven't announced them yet.

[55:15] » Wow, that'd be nice to hear. >> Yeah, be good.

[55:20] » So, I do have financial updates. Okay. And we have 109,000

[55:26] » plus in that uh Habitat account. So, we have more than enough to to tackle a

[55:32] small project in there, I would say. and still still keep some money in hand. U I

[55:38] have only here through June 30th. I don't know if we've had any any

[55:43] expenses. We've had so few meetings that I missed once. I don't know if there

[55:46] have been. >> Um it's no big deal because it's just

[55:49] comes out of our line item budget probably. But that I I will get that

[55:54] caught up. I hope by the next meeting. >> Yeah.

[55:57] » Just takes them a while to get through the fiscal year which was June 30th.

[56:02] And um >> I don't have anything since April.

[56:08] » Okay. >> Any expenses?

[56:09] » Okay. Um and so we had um going into the open space protection fund, we have

[56:15] 1,650,129.71

[56:19] in the account as of June 30th, but there was um about 90,000 going into it.

[56:26] So our current balance should be by now 1,740

[56:33] 16489. So it it just keeps it keeps growing,

[56:38] you know, and to the whole story is for last this year. Sorry. Um, we

[56:49] Sorry.

[56:53] I guess I I guess um I didn't put a title on it, but we've we got I know we

[56:58] got more than $36,000 this year. So, I can't tell you what we got this year. I

[57:02] apologize. We did get um

[57:08] well, maybe that's that's about right. Um, we keep getting in the 50 60 $70,000

[57:15] range. Recently, a couple years ago it was more. Anyway, um, that's what's it's

[57:21] in the bank now. So, that's the good news, right?

[57:27] Um, any other new business?

[57:38] That's it. We can do the minutes now

[57:42] » for real this time. >> Yeah,

[57:45] drop that. They just disappeared.

[57:55] » I had no changes. I thought it looked okay.

[58:01] » Oh, I know. My Oh, I'll wait until we do this. I just had a question. How many

[58:06] more bills do we get for the $10,000 we've been paying out for that project

[58:11] for Lithium? >> Uh I I think I've seen two invoices. I

[58:17] just >> So where is that money coming out of

[58:21] » us? It should come from a grant, right? >> Well, we haven't got any money from the

[58:27] grant because we haven't invoiced >> Oh.

[58:30] » them. >> Oh, okay. Okay. So, it's going to be a

[58:32] borrow payback >> cuz I sent the invoice to finance and

[58:37] said, "I think you guys have the money for this."

[58:40] » No, it's it's pulled out of our accounts >> and then I never heard anything.

[58:44] » So, >> I guess the question is, has anybody

[58:46] paid him? >> Well, Deb says it's paid two $10,000.

[58:52] » Oh, yeah. Okay, good. So, >> so we'll eventually get it back, which

[58:56] is good news, too.

[59:03] Did you have something else? >> No, that was it.

[59:05] » Okay.

[59:10] » Anybody want a motion for the minutes? >> Move to accept the minutes of Tuesday,

[59:17] August 11th as presented.

[59:22] » Second. >> Uh motion by Bob, second by Mike. Any

[59:28] further discussion? All in favor? I abain was abstained. Deb abstains and

[59:35] the motion passes. That's all we have.

[59:41] » I'd note that I think Gary's up for review by town council

[59:46] » on Monday, right? >> Yep.

[59:48] » Is that true? >> Yeah. So,

[59:50] » you don't have to go. I'm going for >> Oh, thank you.

[59:58] We good? >> I move to whatever adjourn.

[1:00:05] » Go home. >> All in favor? I I meeting adjourned.

Conservation Commission from 9-8-26

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