WASHINGTON  CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

 

Minutes- June 5, 2003

 

 

1.0  Assembly:  Time  7:00 p.m.

Present:  Mike Andrews, Carol Andrews, Tom Taylor, John Tweedy, Marv Jager, Rich Cook, Peter France, Don Richard.

 

2.0  Approval of Minutes:  approved as printed.

 

3.0  Old Business: 

3.1  Dredge and Fill Committee:  Mike and Rich went out to look at a site on Lempster Mountain

Road.  This is a town fire pond.  All paperwork was found to be in order.

3.2  Planning Board update:  Marv reported that the Planning Board is now working on a mission statement.  The Master Plan template has been changed by the state.  The Planning Board received over 200 responses to their survey.  They are in the process of documenting the results.  There seems to be a heavy emphasis on single family homes. 

Don is working on an updated map with the restrictions to development (steep slopes would be one example).  Don needs SPNHF maps in digital form (zip and attach to e-mail) of the Conservation Lands maps.  Terra Map is digitizing the tax maps for Washington.  ArcView comes with this contract, and will be available to the Conservation Commission.  The tax map grid format could be used for the website and NRI, and all maps could coincide with the same index.

3.3  We picked up 16 bags of garbage on the highway cleanup.  It was difficult to pull Mike and Rich away from the full bottles of beer.  Future dates for cleanup:  Friday June 27th @ 10 a.m., Saturday, August 23rd @ 3 p.m., Saturday October 25th at 10 a.m.  We will meet behind the Town Hall.

3.4  Hazard Mitigation Committee Goals:

á       Landowner contacts for conservation easements along the Ashuelot River

á       Develop an outreach program by March 2004

á       Contact landowners by October 2004

á       Identify funding sources for purchase of Conservation Easements by March 2004

á       Adoption of the Shoreland Protection Act for the Ashuelot River in Washington (this will be done in cooperation with the Planning Board)

3.5  Terms & Appointments:  The group decided to bring the following proposals forward for approval by the Selectmen:  Marv will be an alternate and Planning Board representative, Carol will stay as a regular member, Ann Delucia as a regular member, John Tweedy will move to an alternate, Tom Taylor will be a regular member and will sit on the dredge and fill committee.

3.6  Pillsbury-Sunapee Forest Legacy Project:  The project made it through the budget process.  It is contingent on appraisals and landowner negotiations.  A conservation organization is trying to secure an option on the property.

3.7  WhatÕs happening in nature?

á       The loons are back in Washington

á       John had a bear at his house last night (8:44 p.m.)

á       Carol reported that the rhodora are blooming in the Bradford Bog

á       Don saw a salamander the size of a spotted, but with no spots

 

4.0  Natural Resource Inventory:

 

5.0  New Business

5.1  Is it possible to limit building permits for the small lots in the old subdivisions in town?  Some of these lots seem to be inappropriate for building.  The group discussed this briefly. 

These are lots of record, therefore a building permit is allowed as long as they can meet the setback requirements in the Land Use Ordinance.  We applaud the Selectmen for offering lots to abutters if they merge the properties.  These are lots that have come to the town for non-payment of taxes. 

 

6.0 Correspondence:

            CD Achieving Smart Growth from the Office of State Planning

Nature Conservancy newsletter which mentions the Ashuelot River

Minimum Impact Wetlands Permit for the fire pond at the Rhodes

 

 

7.0   Adjournment:  8:45 p.m.                   

 

7.1  Next Meeting Date:  July 3rd at 7:00 at the Town Hall.  Highway Cleanup on June 27th at10:00 a.m.  Bring your work gloves.  We will meet behind the Town Hall.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Carol K. Andrews

Secretary

 

cc:  Board of Selectmen

       Planning Board