CONNECTICUT
RIVER GATEWAY COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
January 24,
2008
Present/Absent: CHESTER
Margaret
Wilson, Martha Wallace
DEEP RIVER Amy Petrone,
Nancy Fischbach
EAST HADDAM Logan Clarke, Robert Boulware
ESSEX Fred Vollono, Ed Marlowe
FENWICK Chuck
Chadwick
HADDAM Scott Thompson, Susan Bement
LYME
Kevin Mazer, J. Melvin Woody
OLD LYME Rudi Besier,
Ted Crosby
OLD SAYBROOK Madge Fish, David LeMay
CRERPA Steve Williams
MIDSTATE RPA
Raul De Brigard, Stasia DeMichele
DEP David Blatt
STAFF
Torrance Downes, Dorothy Papp,
TIDEWATER Judy Preston
Call
to Order
Chairman
Vollono called the regular meeting of the Gateway
Commission to order at 7:34 pm in the CRERPA meeting room.
Approval of Minutes
Nancy Fischbach moved to approve the minutes of December 06,
2007. Peggy
Wilson seconded. All were in favor.
Guests
Brainard Stamford of Haddam Neck thanked the Gateway Commission for its application for intervener status on CL&P’s application for a cell tower.
Staff Report
Torrance Downes reported the following correspondence:
· Holiday party invitation from attorneys Gerraghty and Bonnanno has been rescheduled as a Winter Open House on February 7, 2008 at 5:30pm.
· Deadline of OLISP License Plate Grant Program is March 17, 2008. To date, $4.7 million has been awarded to over 300 projects.
· The New London Day reported on a woman in Nevada who is being indicted for “theft of federal property” for cutting trees on protected land to improve her view.
Treasurer’s
Report
Peggy Wilson reported that she, Logan Clarke, and Nancy Fishbach met with Liz David of Merrill Lynch for a quarterly investment report. Liz will attend the February Gateway meeting to give a first annual update of Gateway’s managed account.
Nancy Fischbach moved to pay the month’s bills of $2100.04 to CRERPA and $1120.00 to Tidewater. Martha Wallace seconded. All were in favor.
Nancy Fischbach moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report. Ed Marlowe seconded. All were in favor.
Referrals
Torrance reported receipt of an application from Island Cove Mariana Too in Old Saybrook that will not require a variance as long as the height of the proposed building is measured from existing grade per the regulations, and not from a base platform after leveling. Nancy Fischbach suggested that a muted color be encouraged in the letter as well. Questions were also raised regarding the landscaping indicated on the plans. Torrance believes they are meant as decorative and not part of the intended plan but will mention it in the letter.
A representative for the Sams property in Old Saybrook met with Torrance. They would like to reduce their unpermitted gabion wall to two levels and come to Gateway’s February meeting to discuss their ideas. Ed Marlowe questioned the wisdom of negotiating or considering any ideas while the matter is still in court and before remediation of the site. Nancy Fischbach wondered if working with them from the start might result in less harm to the site and/or a more reasonable remediation plan. Fred Vollono noted that they put the wall in without permission, are appealing the removal order, and have shown no signs of listening to reasonable concerns to date. Melvin Woody noted that current science indicates that Gabion walls simply shifts erosion to another property owner on the river. Torrance will let them know that the Gateway Commission sees no benefit to meeting with them at this time.
The Gateway Commission has put in an intervener request to the CT Siting Council on its review of CL&P’s application for a 180 foot communications tower in Haddam. The public hearing was postponed from 1/17/08 and has yet to be rescheduled.
Adoption Status of 2004 Standards
Jane Marsh of Old Lyme reported to Torrance that the Planning Commission wrote a letter to the Zoning Commission criticizing the proposed changes in the commercial and industrial areas along the river. Such a letter forces a 4 to 1 vote on the map but possibly still allows a 3 to 2 vote on the regulations themselves. The vote will be taken at either a special meeting on Monday, January 28, 2008 or possibly at the regular February meeting.
There was no report on the status of the standards in Essex.
Status of Gateway Owned Properties
There has been no response from DEP re the Balleck property to date.
Tidewater
Judy Preston updated the Commission on her schedule to implement her riparian buffer regulations grant. She will be looking for board input and support in the writing and publicity of buffer maintenance regulations in the specific Gateway towns. Ed Marlowe thought her timeframe was optimistic. Judy agreed that it will be a hard sell but the grant does not require actual passage of the new regulations in the whole Gateway and she believes she will be able to at least get them written and hopefully passed in one or two town venues.
Other Business
Susan Bement distributed questionnaires for the Conte Refuge for interested parties to fill out.
Torrance reported he had a call from someone interested in making a business of cleaning up the river of large waste items. Torrance sent him to the Watershed Council. David Blatt suggested the Parks Service as well.
Adjournment
There being no further business, Ed Marlowe moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Dorothy Papp
The
next meeting of the Gateway Commission is Thursday, February 28, 2008.