By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Middlebury Conservation Commission (CC) at its June 30 meeting approved plans to construct a building at the corner of Southford and Benson Roads. It also approved drainage pipe repairs at Juniper’s restaurant. At its July 28 meeting, it approved a garage on White Deer Rock Road and cutting of diseased trees on the same road, and it received a status update on remediation of an illegal dam on Tranquility Road.
Plans by Drubner Commercial Real Estate for a new 8,400-square-foot commercial office building on a mostly wetlands five-acre property at the northeast corner of Benson and Southford Roads were unanimously approved. The project was accepted Feb.24 with the stipulation a $2,000 fee be paid for an outside technical expert to provide an opinion on what commissioners called a complex project.
The building, originally proposed at 9,600-square-feet, was reduced to 8,400 square feet after consultant comments were reviewed. The project has a wetlands disturbance of 673 square feet mitigated by a wetland enhancement and restoration in one area of the plans and a wetland creation in the upper area, with a rain garden for roof runoff and a filter bag to control basin discharges.
Emergency repairs to a large sinkhole that appeared in the Junipers parking lot after a May rainstorm were unanimously approved. The sinkhole was caused by a rotted and collapsed 15-inch corrugated metal drain, and emergency repairs were authorized verbally by Wetlands Enforcement Officer Deborah Seavey. Town Engineer John Calabrese recommended an 18-inch reinforced concrete pipe be used for the replacement. He told commissioners rip-rap had been installed in a trench feeding the pipe but no further piping was done.
Construction of a 30-by-24 foot garage at 53 White Deer Rock Road was unanimously approved with abstention by member George Tzepos. Owner Garrett Moore said the 2½ bay post-and-beam building built on a slab would help his daughter manage the additional cars expected to be used by her six boys who are entering their teen years. He said there would not be running water or living areas in the building.
Removal of approximately 20 diseased hemlock trees at 389 White Deer Rock Road was unanimously approved with abstention by Tzepos. Owner Garrett Moore said he had attempted to save the trees with the help of Woodbury tree expert John Thomas, but was not successful. He said the trees now pose a danger and should be removed for the safety of children and workers. Moore agreed to mark the diseased trees for Seavey’s review.
In other matters, commissioners heard a report by Robert Bosco on his plans to remediate wetlands disturbed by illegal construction of a dam at 120 Tranquility Road. He told commissioners he was working with soil scientist Cynthia Rabinowitz of Bethlehem and said an email from the Army Corps of Engineers had approved his planting plan. Bosco said he wanted to purchase trees with some years of growth so they’d look mature and was planning to plant more than required, with work starting in August. Chairman Vincent Lorusso thanked him for the update but cautioned him the update was not an approval. He said an application for the work was still pending, a matter Bosco said his attorney would be handling.
The next regular CC meeting will be Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.
