Speaker 1: Folks, welcome. This is the Native Conservation Commission. Today is March 5th, our first meeting of March. Next meeting is on March, March 19th. We've got a relatively short agenda here this evening. We'll just try to go through efficiently, but fairly, do wanna ask people who are maybe watching at home to please keep yourselves on mute. So we're just to keep background noise to a minimum while we do this, before we dive into the public hearing, I just wanna say a few words and really want to compliment my colleagues on the commission. We have had about three months, four months, three months,
something of some pretty hairy projects that were technically challenging. Were, were controversial to a certain extent. And I just want to compliment you guys on the professionalism, the technical competence, the willingness to listen, the willingness to agree to disagree. We got 'em both there. And it just really, you know, I think it just really demonstrates the quality of the people that we have on this commission. So, thank you guys. I really, I'm very grateful for that and very proud of the work that we've done over the past few months.
So keep it up. Don't backslide. I'm kidding. So anyway, let's let, let's dive into the public hearings here this evening. And of course my perfectly teed up slides or files. We're all good from, so the first item of the agenda I've got is a certificate of compliance for 94 Woodland. So did you come up Sir? Project Claire, do you want to just give us a quick, quick assessment from your perspective on where things stand? This is a certificate of compliance, Speaker 2: Of course. And just for the record, Jeff Richards is joining the meeting in person.
Hey Jeff. So folks may recall this was a previously undeveloped lot. The commission to the site visit out here when we were reviewing, it's a sloping lot that leads down from the abutting single family home property to a large vegetated wetland resource area. Woodland Street is the primary access for the property. The project included a single family home with stormwater infiltration as well as a large retaining wall and required mitigation plantings. Included in the project folder are inspection reports from the stormwater system,
installation from the project engineer, as well as a revised updated memo from the project engineer on the second page, noting that the project is now currently in substantial compliance. The as-built plan, a photo of the garage placard that was installed. I performed a site visit and despite there being quite a bit of snow cover, it was still ver fairly evident that the site was in substantial compliance. And the markers required by the commission are installed along the face of the retaining wall. And so the project is in substantial compliance and I believe ready for a certificate.
Speaker 1: Great. Thanks. And we have a letter from De Shang Wang, who's indicated that he's reviewed the as-built site plan and certifies that the as-built construction significantly, significantly complies with the approved design plan. Any comments from you? Was the project straightforward? Any, any hairy parts? Speaker 3: It was straightforward in the fact that it was a single family home, but for a single family home, it certainly had its challenges with grading and being very careful to construct our retaining wall right along that 25 foot no disturbed line, you know?
Right. Had its challenges. And some of the initial feedback we got from the commission was helpful in doing that. But I would consider this a successful project. Weather was on our side. We were able to get all of the landscaping in and required mitigation plantings in, and we thought it was a successful project. Speaker 1: Great. Is it, is it occupied now or It is. Yep. And homeowners are happy with it. They're happy. Excellent. That's, that's the other thing that really matters, matters most there. So we've got the certification from the engineer that things are in compliance with the, with the approved plans. Claire's indicated that things are buttoned up.
We've got placards, we've got boundary markers, all that stuff in place. Any questions from the commission on this? And if someone's so inclined, I'd be happy to entertain a motion to issue a certificate of compliance for 94 Woodland Street. So Thank you Jeff. So moved. Thank you, Jeff. Is that seconded? Seconded. Thank you Jim. Any further discussion on that? All in favor in the room, Chris? Yes, David? Yes. Excellent. All right. That's it. You got it. Thank you. Let us know if anything comes up and look forward to seeing you back here again. Speaker 3: Sounds good. Have a good night. Speaker 1: All right. Take Speaker 2: Care Nick. I'll have that ready tomorrow if you wanna swing by in the morning. Yeah. Thank Speaker 1: You.
Alright, next item. The agenda is the request for determination of applicability for 20 Edwards Road. Yep. Come on up. Speaker 2: Just as a heads up, we do not have anybody online except Chris and David. Oh great. Speaker 1: So we can use bad words. Would you mind just introducing yourself for the, for the minutes for the record? Yeah. I'm Joshua Conti. I'm the homeowner at 20 Edwards Road. Great. So tell us a little bit about what, Speaker 2: Oh, Matt, we do need to open the, Speaker 1: Oh yeah, thank you. It's kind of just like I'm in this blast ahead mode tonight, you know, with a short agenda. Lemme go ahead and open this. So, in accordance with the Wettens Protection Act and Nats local Wettens by Article 79, the Native Conservation Commission hold a public meeting on
a request for determination of applicability filed by Joshua Conti for property located at 20 Edward Roads 20 Edwards Road Map 41 lots, 25 and 26. The proposal is to level a portion of the yard with associated hardscaping and landscaping. So sir, yeah, don't you just kind of talk us through what, what you're thinking above and beyond what I just Speaker 4: Described? Yeah, yeah. It's pretty much what you described. So we did an addition a few years ago and we got the, it was a nice smooth process through here. And now we want to do the second half, which is the hardscape in the backyard. So we just want to put a patio and we want to put up a retaining wall
and flatten out part of the backyard just because it's just kind of sloped down. I tried to build a nice rink a couple times and the yard's just so sloped that it's impossible 'cause it's like 10 inches of water over here, like nothing up here. And a nice place for my son to put up his soccer net. And that's pretty much it. And then at the end, I think what we're gonna try to do too is put a little patio for a little, like a fire pit type area that I didn't mention because Okay, Speaker 2: That's, that's totally fine. So just to run the commission through, there's a couple
of plan documents that are included in the project folder. The first that I have up on the screen right now. Oh, that's eventually, yeah, we'll get there eventually. Speaker 4: Okay. Speaker 2: There it is. There. This is the plan that the commission approved for the addition a few years ago. Folks can see a, a small addition was built on the back of the property over an existing concrete patio. What is being proposed now is a patio off of the back of the existing work that was previously approved. You can see that just beyond the proposed patio,
there is this leveled yard area and the smaller patio that Joshua mentioned is shown over here on the plan. We also received a sort of a hand annotated drawing. The intention is to construct a boulder wall. Yeah. Not a, a ready rock or a standard retaining wall for a more natural look. And the total yard leveling would result in the addition of about 60 cubic yards of film material in this roughly 60 by 30 footprint. Yeah. As I mentioned in my notes,
the orders controls are not shown on the plans, but the owner is open to that being conditioned as part of the project. Yeah. He recalls that similar conditions were placed on the addition work. A quote was provided for the work that's being proposed. The 15, the smaller 15 by 15 patio is not noted in the quote, but it is intended to be added to the project and was shown on the initial design plans. The final note is that I had brought this up to the homeowners, that there is an existing playhouse on the site shown here on the approved plans that folks can see this
is the property line. So it does sit technically just partially off of their property onto the abutting DCR land. The project does not involve any changes to the structure or additional access to the structure. And the homeowner did provide a photo just to demonstrate that there are, this is a structure that is anchored to the ground. It, it is not a mobile structure and is requesting that the commission not require it to be relocated as part of this work. Which I, I don't think is a huge concern now. Speaker 4: No, and it we're, we're probably gonna repu,
my youngest is eight, so really we have like four good years. Speaker 1: It's, it's lifespan is limited regardless of course. Mean as long as DCR is not complaining about it. No, Speaker 2: Thankfully it is. It's one of those ones where it's very clearly not a private property trying to make pri public property private. It's just one of those ones where you have a very unfortunate rear lot line. Yeah. Like Speaker 4: We, when we originally, we built that during COVID for a place for kids to play. And when we looked at it we're like, I think this is our yard. It's, it's impossible to tell without like getting, and then once we got the addition
and got the land, we're like, huh, okay. We are off a little bit. Speaker 1: Yeah. In terms of the, do we have, do we have photos of the backyard at all in the, in the file? I Speaker 2: Just, the photo, photo I provided I can the photo of the clay area, but I can pull up the, the aerial views or are you looking for a slope? Speaker 1: Yeah, what, what I'm more curious about is that, so, so the place where, where you're, where you're planning to put the fire pit Yeah. That, you know, so is that like a paver or like, is that whole area paver and then including some differently paved area
where the fire pit would go? Speaker 4: Is that the fire pit will just be the 15 by 15 patio. That's, Speaker 2: I think it's a constructed fire pit in the middle of the patio. Speaker 4: No, no it's not. We're probably just gonna get like, just, just a regular, that'll probably just go like one of those smokeless ones that are portable. Speaker 1: I'm just looking at, you know, there's, there's this kind of curved feature. If, if you look at the plan, there's kind of this, this curved feature that extends out. I'm wondering, pull it up. Speaker 4: I can explain it because that's all Speaker 2: The curved feature. Yeah. I'm pulled up right Speaker 4: Now. Now that's just lands, that's gonna be just like flowers.
Like I think my wife wants to plant some lavender eventually. Speaker 2: Oh, are you referring to this area? That stuff? Speaker 1: Yeah, there's Speaker 2: Just that hatching is in reference to landscaping. Yeah. You can see Speaker 1: There's Speaker 4: A, that's just landscaping. It's just landscaping. Yeah. Oh, oh, okay. There Speaker 2: Is a, I thought there was a key on Speaker 1: This. The question I was gonna ask, I mean is, is the area of leveling limited to the 60 by 30 rectangular area? Speaker 4: I think so, yes. Where Speaker 1: Fill comes in, you're not filling the whole Speaker 4: No, no, no backyard. Just back there. Just enough to, just enough to put some loom down probably and plant grass and, and you know, bring it up just a little bit. Okay.
Speaker 1: So that, that, that's the only area Speaker 2: The contours might make this. So this is the property of 20 Edwards Road. Yeah. You can see this portion of the lawn is much more level that is really level Yeah. Than the area immediately behind the Speaker 1: House. Okay. So the, so the, the the, the leveling in the fill is limited to the 60 by 30 area that you're gonna put a hockey rink in the winter and Speaker 4: Hopefully Speaker 1: Yeah. And, and whatever. Okay. Yep. Okay, cool. That's, that, that's helpful. And then for the fill itself, I mean it's bounded by borders fill going in there, that'll be leveled seeded for grass.
Yes. And but not, not p or anything like that? Speaker 4: No. The only place we're gonna put the paver patios is this patio Speaker 1: That, that little fire Speaker 4: Pit, then that little fireplace, like the two areas where, Speaker 2: Sorry. So there's, there's a small patio here and then the, or I'd say the moderate patio here and then a second smaller patio here. Yeah. Speaker 1: Great. Speaker 4: And then just a couple questions for you guys. I'll probably put a pergola up on the one by the house. I don't need, you guys don't need to approve that at all. It's just one thing. Speaker 2: Perla would be an administrative approval just
'cause you have to file for a building permit. So when those are ready it'll also come to me. Okay. But the, the pergola structure, because it's going over the patio doesn't require, at least if the commission agrees, does not require any additional permitting. Oh, Speaker 1: It's got no roof. I mean it's not roof. Speaker 4: No, no. It's just kind of open lines or something. You get it at Costco. I think there's one at Costco. Yeah. That I was gonna get. Okay. Speaker 1: Just Claire can handle. Speaker 4: That's perfect. And then a couple other quick questions like where that circle is like right, the 15 by 15 patio, we told you we weren't gonna plan anything, but we're thinking maybe of putting a red bud in native
Speaker 2: Landscaping is a Okay. Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'cause we can get that at the framing hand conservatory. Absolutely, yes. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And then another quick question too is we have fencing kind of over on the, the side of the, on the, yeah, we're not gonna do that right now, but maybe in a couple years. Will we need anything for that? That's Speaker 1: Something else to Speaker 2: Come back. Fencing is also administrative, depending on the type and style. Okay. Just reach out to me when you guys are ready to go. We Speaker 4: Can go. Okay. I just wanted to double check. Speaker 2: Absolutely. Okay. Speaker 4: Appreciated. And then that's it. And then maybe eventually a shed down the road. I don't know where we're gonna put that, like right there,
Speaker 1: But that's another thing just to come in and check with the office. Perfect. Okay. And Claire can walk you through the process for Speaker 4: That. Awesome. So the only thing we really need to do is make sure and the landscaper puts that mul. Speaker 2: Yeah. And then I'll come out and do a quick inspection just to make sure I've got no concerns and you guys will be all set to go. Okay. Speaker 4: Perfect. Speaker 1: Great. Great. Any questions from the commission on this? David? Chris? Speaker 4: No, Speaker 1: No. Is is, is Russell Gates the person you're gonna use? Yeah, Speaker 4: He, Speaker 1: He's a good guy. He did all the landscaping in my backyard. Speaker 4: Oh he, he just did our neighbors too and that's why we're going solid.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Speaker 4: So solid guy. Their work is great. Yeah. Speaker 1: Yeah. Solid guy. Speaker 4: Yeah. He's coming out tomorrow, so. Great. Speaker 1: Cool. Alright. Any questions? This is a request for determination of, of applicability. We, we'd close, we'd issue a determination and be done. Okay. With that, happy to entertain a motion to close. Motion to close. Thank you Jim. Is that seconded? Seconded. Move to second. All right. Well I'll take Jeff second on that. Any further discussion on that? Those in favor in the room, Chris? Speaker 5: Yes. Speaker 1: David? Yes. Alright. Closed determination, negative three. Determination and
Speaker 2: Negative two. 'cause it is riverfront Speaker 1: Area. Riverfront area. Yep. So negative three and a negative two Determination. Please make that motion. So moved. Thank you Jeff. Is that seconded? Second. Second. I'll take David second on that. Any further discussion? Those in favor in the room, David? Yes. Chris? Yes. Okay. So what that means is just that the, the negative determinations means that it is, we're determining formally that this is under our jurisdiction because of the proximity to the river. But the negative part of it basically says that what, you know, our determination is that what you're proposing is not gonna negatively impact.
Okay. The resource area. Yeah. Stick to the plans. Yep. Okay. Tell Russell to Yeah. Be on his game that day. Yep. Perfect. And yeah, if anything changes, talk to Claire. Yeah, I will. And then, and, and then we can figure out stuff. But it's it, because of the proximity to the riverfront area, it's important that you do what we've approved here. Yep. But otherwise you've got what you need from us. Awesome. Okay. Alright. Speaker 2: So I'll try to have that documentation ready tomorrow, but if not, Monday at the latest. Yeah, Speaker 1: That's fine. Like, we're not gonna start any time Speaker 2: I imagine with the snow on the ground. We've got a minute. Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for coming in. Appreciate your time.
Thank you. Thank you so much for hearing us. Alright, so that's all done. Look at this guys. I want you all to notice the time. This is like seven 15. Okay. Just, just, just saying it's closing. Are Speaker 5: You telling me I need, this needs to make up for me missing putt sha last week or the week before last. Speaker 1: You know, dude, you got, yeah. So you missed putt Shak. I'm really sorry. I Speaker 5: Was sitting in the drive. I was sitting in the parking lot. Oh, Speaker 2: That's, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1: Chris's Speaker 5: Right? I mean it's, it's all right. I'm, I'm not that good a golfer. Speaker 1: Alright, so all right. Next time the, you know, that's, that's our public hearings for tonight guys minutes. September 11th, September 18th, Jeff both look Speaker 2: Good and I accepted all the edits. Did that you see? Yeah. Yep. Okay. I very much appreciate it. Speaker 1: Great. So we'll make a motion to approve the minutes from September 11th and September 18th. Motion will approve. I'll take Jim's, Jim's motion. Jeff second. Any further discussion on that? Those in favor, Chris? Yes. David? Yes. Excellent general business. How about this? I'll keep
Speaker 2: It pretty darn short. I have one grant letter of support that I'm looking for the commission's authorization either for me to sign or our Matt to sign digitally. Just to give folks a quick update. 'cause I know I've been talking about a lot of potential grant applications. The town of Natick is again gonna be the fiscal lead on a regional application and partnership with the Charles River Watershed Association for continued regional flood mitigation efforts. We are also rolling in a portion of the Doug Pond work. Oh nice. The stream daylight evaluation on the facilities
yard property into that regional project. We think it is more competitive that way and it also helps the regional project have more direct community impact. So a win-win. We are also gonna be applying for the South Natick Parks construction funding and update on that one because of some updated information regarding the historic monitoring that's gonna be required prior to construction for old town parks, specifically on the north side of the river near the library. We're removing that parcel from this grant application.
So we will still be pursuing funding for Grove Park and the multipurpose courts, which we've already, because of the spillway removal, the investigation's already been done on that side of the river. But because of the known proximity to existing resource archeological resources and it's anticipated that the monitoring is gonna be much more extensive on the north side of the river. And because we don't know when the end timeline of that will be, we don't wanna reduce the competitiveness of our construction funding application by not being able to say, we know we're gonna have that permit in hand by x, y, Z date. And so we're gonna remove it from this proposal
with the intention of applying for, depending on the timing, a park grant, A-P-A-R-C grant to support the construction of that park as those applications are reviewed on the state fiscal cycle. So the September 30th to October 1st. So the applications are more delayed, the awards are more delayed in terms of announcement or we would apply for an MVP funding next year for that park, which this application was originally gonna be a two year application anyway. So it doesn't really change the timeline at all for the construction. It just changes, you know, exactly the language
of the grant application that we're putting in. So the letter that I have in front of you all here tonight, the, because Natick is the fiscal lead, the letter of support and match comes from town administration for the regional grant. But the letter that's in the general business folder is for the South Natick Parks grant application. If folks are comfortable, we don't need this vote today, but applications are due on the 20th, so I didn't wanna wait until our meeting on the 19th and have no time to make any edits or turn anything around. So there's a draft letter for folks to review if folks are comfortable, happy to get a signature on it. Also happy to make any edits that folks would like.
But again, this letter of support would be for the South Natick Parks construction funding application for Grove Park and the multipurpose courts. Speaker 1: Looks fine to me. I think this is a good, good support. Would someone make a motion to authorize me and or Claire to sign this or Claire to sign on my behalf? Just, Speaker 6: Just a very, very, very small edit please. The next to last sentence. I don't think it needs the com, the commas in it. Speaker 2: Oh. And I think that's probably what Google is trying to tell me as well. Speaker 1: Yeah. Nice catch. Things have to be grammatically perfect
coming out of this shot. There we go. Speaker 2: Wonderful. Thank you David. Cool. Speaker 1: Alright. Someone make a motion to authorize and, Speaker 6: And the other comma too, I think in that same sentence. Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. Speaker 1: Good. Yeah, I'm done. Thank you, David. All right. Someone make a motion to authorize me or and or Claire to, to sign this for on behalf of the commission motion. So moved. I'll take David. With, with, with Jim. Jim. Second. Any further discussion? Those in favor, David?
Yes. And Chris? Yes. Excellent. Okay. Good. All right. Good, good. Claire, what else? Speaker 2: Just one update that the town meeting warrant has closed for Springtown meeting. So the commission doesn't have anything in particular. I was, I was Speaker 1: Gonna, I I didn't think we had anything. Speaker 2: No, the, the only thing that's related is the authorization for the revolving fund that was created in the fall for the stormwater filing fees. But we just picked an amount that is less than the total amount currently in the account. And then that'll happen every year on the SPRINGTOWN meeting agenda.
That account will be authorized for use. Speaker 1: Super Town meeting starts when? Speaker 2: April 28th. Speaker 1: April 28th. So our first couple meetings in May may be impacted or likely are impacted. Oh, Speaker 2: We did adjust our schedule for our May meetings. We did. And just as a reminder for folks, our first April meeting is also adjusted because of Passover. Mm. Our first meeting is on April 1st. It's a Wednesday and it will likely be virtual only. Okay. Depending on the select board booking. Speaker 1: Good. And when are the May meetings? Speaker 2: Our calendar is fully online, but I believe it's that first Wednesday,
seventh Wednesday May 6th and then May 21st. Yes. Speaker 1: Super Wednesday May 6th. Alright, good. Speaker 2: Yes. Actually our, our next chunk of meetings is a little funky. We've got Wednesday, April 1st, and then we jump to the fourth Thursday of April because of the extent of Passover. So our next meeting, April 1st, April 23rd, May 6th. And just as a reminder, our meeting schedule is available
on the town website. Yeah. In its entirety. Speaker 1: Alright. Anything else? Alright, well just one last time, Jeff, before you got here. I just wanted to say thanks to you and thanks to the commission for, for our south main street for five Auburn Street. We had a couple of hairy months. A long, long, long conversations. I'm just very grateful for everyone's really constructive professional engagement in this. I mean, we hammered through it. Didn't always see eye to eye on everything, but I think we really handled it well and I'm very grateful to that.
So thank you all with that. Happy to entertain a motion to adjourn. This is a world right? This may be a record in the Speaker 2: Day. I do think it might be a record. Yeah. Speaker 1: How, how, how'd the agenda just fall off the 2020? Well, Speaker 2: It was, we had all of these long running projects. Speaker 1: 50. Hey, don't, don't don't, don't make me lose the record here. There you go. Okay. Motion to adjourn. Thank you Jim. Is that second segment? Alright. Thank you Jeff. Those in favor of adjourning. Aye. David. Aye. Yes, Chris. See you. Thanks guys. All right. Have a good night. Appreciate you, appreciate your efforts.