Wetlands and site engineering

Sep 30 · MinutesFirst mention

Engineers from Beals Associates and SMP said the wetland edges are now better mapped. A preliminary survey plan from Northam helped with this. The final building location, grading, drainage and wetland impact are not yet set and will need more engineering and state review. The project must show local conservation officials and the state Department of Environmental Services that wetland impacts are kept small. A wetland function-and-value study and a concept plan will come before a state pre-application meeting. The state may ask for changes, such as removing rear parking or moving access drives. The site seems to have old farm drainage trenches. Stormwater will be checked for two-year, ten-year and fifty-year storms, and Newfields' stormwater rules apply. The property is about 14 acres across four lots, with dry land mostly along Route 87. The developed area could be about two to two and a half acres, and most of the land would stay undisturbed. The team will study fill needs, sight distance, driveway placement, drainage and grading. Sight-distance measurements are not done yet.

Sep 30 · Video

The town's site engineer said the committee now has a basic survey plan from the survey firm Northam and a clear map of the wetland edges done by Gove Environmental. Once the committee picks a favorite design, the engineer will work with the environmental scientist and surveyor to show the state, when the town applies, that wetland impact is kept as small as possible. The engineer said avoiding the wetlands on this property is close to impossible. Later he said the state will score the wetland's functions and values, may ask for parts of the plan like a second parking area to be cut, and may require the rest of the land to go into a permanent conservation easement. The town would first meet the state in a pre-application meeting once a fairly complete concept exists. The chair said the wetland extent was not known until now.

Sep 30 · Video

A project representative said the committee now has a basic survey plan from the survey firm Northam. Go Environmental has marked the wetland edges on the site. Once the committee picks a favorite layout, the team will work with the wetland scientist and the surveyor to cut the impact on the wetlands. The representative said avoiding the wetlands entirely on this property is close to impossible. The team plans to show the state how it is limiting impact when it applies for a state permit.