Washington Planning Board and Conservation Commission

Working Session on Town Owned Lots

Minutes - Thursday August 9, 2012

Assembly time 12:00PM

Planning Board: Tom Marshall (Selectmen’s representative on the Board), Lynn Cook (Chair and Assessor), Jim Crandall, Jean Kluk and Nan Schwartz (also, Conservation Commission)

Conservation Commission: Sandy Robinson

Public: None

1.0 Purpose of meeting. Lynn Cook stated that the purpose of the meeting was to review the data available and the notes from the field visits for each of the TOLs in LAE and to come to a consensus recommendation for the Selectmen regarding how the Selectmen might best proceed in the disposition of the lots by the town.

2.0 Review of lots. The process was as follows. Nan Schwartz described each property and the notes from the field visits. Lynn Cook added information about suitability to build and assessment values. Pictures taken on site visits were available and reviewed by committee members. Discussion followed. Motions were made and seconded for the recommended action for each lot. In each case a Condition of sale was recommended, a deed restriction is also an option.

The following recommendations were voted unanimously.

1. TM 14-38 – 1.39 acres

Maps showed the front of this lot to be in the floodplain as mapped by FEMA. Lot drops off from road. Entering the lot from the right front we found spongy ground and lots of ferns. As dry as conditions are, we could tell that this is a wet lot. We found striped maple, mixed hard woods and soft woods and large patches of golden thread, which grow in moist shady areas. The lot is crisscrossed with intermittent streams, large boulders. Lot rises a bit toward the rear. Lot seems to be a parcel that receives a lot of stormwater during storm events.

Recommend Action: Offer to abutters with Condition of Sale to merge.

2. TM 14-93 - .7 acres, corner lot Ashuelot Drive and Jefferson Drive

Maps showed this lot to be in the floodplain as mapped by FEMA. It is also partially in the Shoreland Protection Zone. Two active year round brooks run through the property, which join and pass under Ashuelot Drive through a culvert and feed directly into Ashuelot Pond. This lot is directly across the street from the LAE Highway Department lot and public boat launch.

Lot drops off from the road, active stream near Ashuelot Road side, a culvert runs under road to carry the stream. There is a 2nd stream on Jefferson Drive side with large wet area, a culvert under Jefferson Drive carries the stream onto the lot. Lot has mixed hard and soft woods, very wet lot, boulder. This lot is obviously a receiving parcel for stormwater and the 2 brooks that run through it.

It is a very small lot, not suitable for building or driveway access, in 1990 it was found to require in excess of $20K of fill to create a buildable spot. The Assessors’ condition of 50 might be considered high.

Recommend Action: Offer to abutters with Condition of Sale to merge.