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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989_01_19 Conservation Advisory Commission Minutes "1e- Approved 2'C c Town of Mamaroneck Conservation Advisory Commission RECEIVED MAR 10 1989 Area Code 914 740 West Boston Post Road !A UW A DiClOCC01J0 Mamaroneck, N. Y. 10543 Ai R CLERK N.Y. MINUTES JANUARY 19, 1989 A regular meeting of the Conservation Advisory Commission (CAC) was held on Thursday, January 19, 1989, in Conference Room A of the Town Center, 740 West Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, New York. The meeting commenced at 8:00 P.M. Members Present: Steven R. Goldstein, Chairman Charles Bernstein Jane Moss Kevin G. Ryan Michael Scheffler Irma Volk Mary Anne Johnson, Emeritus Others Present: Beth Hofstettor, liaison, Mamaroneck Village Board Robert Hohberg, Water Monitoring Consultant P. Thomas Leddy, Beautification Director Cheryl Lewy, liaison, Larchmont Village Board Claudia Ng, Environmental Coordinator (and recorder) Gladys Sherak, volunteer Caroline Silverstone, liaison, Town Council Members Excused: Robert Komitor Members Absent: none Administrative Matters Approval of Minutes - The minutes of December 15, 1988 were approved with no additional corrections. Next Meeting - The next meeting was scheduled for February 16, 1989. Establishment of Committees & Reorganization of Commission - The new chairman outlined new procedures for the CAC. He explained that the new subcommittes should meet individually during the month to do most of the legwork so that the regular meetings could be used primarily for reporting and finalizing of projects. He noted that anyone can join in on any subcommittee meetings if they so desired, but each member was responsible for at least one subcommittee. Also, subcommittes would be open for volunteer involvement and he encouraged members to think of people who would like to help. A list identifying who was on which subcommittee was distributed. CAC Minutes - 1/19/89 The Chairman outlined a few beginning projects for the committees. The Recycling Committee should be working on ways to improve the municipal program. Mrs. Johnson reported that the League of Women Voters and L.I.F.E. Center are holding a meeting in March on recycling and that the L.I.F.E. Center has started an aluminum and tin cans program. The Open Space Committee could work on inventorying the trails to see what improvements are needed, such as additional signs between streets on the Leatherstocking Trail and the need to make the connection between the Leatherstocking Trail and the Larchmont Reservoir clearer. Ms. Ng reminded them that the Premium Conservation Area is in desperate need of consideration. Mrs. Johnson informed the Commission that the Larchmont League of Women Voters will be having on meeting on February 14 on the issue of Bonnie Briar Country Club. The Education/Legislation Committee would be working on things like revising the tree legislation and publicizing the work accomplished by the other committees. New Member - Kevin Ryan was introduced to the Commission. He grew up in Larchmont/Mamaroneck. He has been involved in many environmentally-related organizations and has worked for the New York City Sanitation Department. He is currently a lawyer working in White Plains. New Liaison - Beth Hofstettor is the new liaison to the CAC from the Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees. Environment Trapping - Mr. Goldstein reported that he has spoken with Ed Lieberman, the Town attorney, who originally gave a negative opinion on CAC's suggestion to get the Town and Villages to ban trapping based on the leghold trap ban by Suffolk County. Mr. Goldstein, however, clarified their suggestion as being a ban on all hunting and trapping, not just excluding the leghold trap. Mr. Lieberman will respond after investigating further. Livingston/Hilltop Road - On January 24 at 9 a.m. , Mr. Goldstein, Ms. Ng, Mr. Leddy and Mr. Lieberman will visit the Old Mill Site to see what changes had been made by the Livingstons. Although it has been quite some time since most of the changes were made, some legal action could probably be taken since it had been expressly prohibited in the CAC minutes. Inventory of Streamside Properties - Ms. Ng reported that she could not locate the Suffolk County law that Mrs. Silverstone mentioned which regulated development along streams. Mrs. Silverstone will attempt to locate the article which told her of this. Mr. Ryan mentioned the existence of a County Drainage Areas Law, which Ms. Ng was asked to look into and find. Mrs. Johnson will coordinate this project. The two first steps are to identify vacant lots and to list streamside addresses. Tree Preservation Law - Ms. Ng compiled a list of 30 tree service companies from the local telephone books. She also read a draft letter that would notify the companies of the Town's tree permit ordinance. The CAC approved the draft letter. -2- CAC Minutes - 1/19/89 Golf Ball Ocean Litter - Mr. Goldstein summarized the incident where he found hundreds of golf balls washed up on the shore of Flagler Drive beach. The State Department of Environmental Conservation sent an officer to look at the site with Ms. Ng, but the officer stated that it appeared to be primarily a local enforcement matter. The CAC decided that a letter was in order to warn surrounding golf clubs of the critical importance for careful disposal of their old golf balls. Mr. Bernstein of the Education/Legislation Committee was requested to draft the letter. Development Projects Residential Development, 746 Mamaroneck Avenue - The Village of Mamaroneck Planning Board is awaiting the submission of a draft environmental impact statement for this proposed project. Water Courses and Water Bodies Water Monitoring Project: East Creek - Mr. Hohberg reported to the Commission that the County Health Department had asked Fred Kellogg, Larchmont Village Engineer, to inspect the sewer line above East Creek. This resulted int he replacement of 400 feet of the 18" diameter pipe. Mr. Hohberg said that he is still assisting Les Zakarin, Mamaroneck Village Engineer, and their sewer repair consultants Blasland and Bouck. The Franklin Avenue drain area in the Village is still a problem. The Village can ask the County to do a dye-test and follow through with the same procedures as Fred Kellogg did. Also field inspectors from the County Health Department could assist with the point pollution problem at Nassau Road. Ms. Hofstettor remarked that there was going to be a neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposed condominium development at the Continental Manor site. Sheldrake Watershed Study - Ms. Ng reported that the Town Council has approved the study. Next week, the project schedule will be finalized with the private consultant Stephen Tomecek and our consultant engineer Gary Trachtman. Drinking Water Pamphlet - Mrs. Volk distributed some copies of a County pamphlet which explained about drinking water sources in our area. Mrs. Silverstone remarked that in the Town of Mamaroneck, up by Old White Plains Road and Bruce Road, houses there are still using wells. Mr. Ryan added that an individual can have his well tested by Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. or by a lab in Valhalla. Water Reclassification - The State is reclassifying several water bodies and the public is allowed to comment at this time. Since CZMC will be looking into this, the CAC decided to leave it in their jurisdiction. FIRM Revisions - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has revised their Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) . CAC again decided to leave this in the CZMC's jurisdiction. -3- CAC Minutes - 1/19/89 Solid Waste Disposal Plastics - Mr. Scheffler distributed a draft letter endorsing a County ban on polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride. Some suggested changes include emphasizing the plastics used in the fast food industry and the problem with chloroflurocarbons as in the Berkeley Law. It was also noted that it needs to be clear that plastic bottles would not be included in this ban. Mrs. Lewy expressed that she did not think there was much plastic manufacturing in Westchester and thought that banning the use of plastics, which is the main problem in Westchester, be emphasized. Mr. Ryan felt that they should first know more about how businesses will be affected by the ban. Ms. Ng will call Suffolk County to find out how its plastics ban has been working. Mr. Scheffler will work with Mr. Ryan on revising this letter. Mr. Goldstein commented that the letter should have the backing of the municipalities. Mr. Scheffler added that they should get the backing of other CACs as well. Mrs. Silverstone recommended that the liaisons be informed of the CACs work before being issued. Composting - Mr. Ryan remarked on the need to focus on composting. He mentioned that the County's Cooperative Extension has a handbook to describe how to compost properly. Mrs. Silverstone told the Commission that the Town Supervisor will be speaking to the Village of Mamaroneck Mayor about making Taylors Lane a permanent composting site. Schools as Redemption Centers - Ms. Ng reported that there was a new suggestion of using the schools as a redemption center for aluminum cans and plastic soda bottles. These could be sold directly back to the bottling companies. However, since the price would not be as high as returning them to the stores for five cents a piece, the CAC felt that it would be better for the schools to take it directly to the market instead. It was suggested that this be discussed directly with the Town administrator if the CAC were to proceed any further on this. Paper Bags for Curbside Newspaper - Fred Kellogg, Superintendent of the Sanitation Commission, has agreed to put receptacles on the collection trucks to allow those residents who wish to use paper bags to hold their newspapers for recycling to do so. The Chairman will write a thank you note to Mr. Kellogg. Historic Preservation Jay Property - Mrs. Johnson reported that Rye's Board of Architectural Review is be meeting on the proposal to develop the Jay property tonight. She showed some diagrams of the proposed development. She said that if it were to pass, it would be the first to undermine the landmark status. She read the comments of the Rye City Planning Commission. Mr. Goldstein reported that County Executive Andrew O'Rourke had responded to the CAC's letter which advocated the use of the Jay Mansion for combined historical and marine science purposes. Essentially, Mr. O'Rourke stated that the County had done its share by appropriating $2 million to its acquisition, but the state had not done its part. It was noted that the Sloane Kettering property, which is across the street from the Jay Property and the Marshlands, was being sold to the Albert Einstein Hospital, of which, it is believed, the chairman is the husband of ,,. the developer for the Jay property. a CAC Minutes - 1/19/89 New or Other Business Historical Report - Ms. Ng reminded the CAC of their plan since the annual report was redesigned in 1986 to publish a separate brochure that gave the background and history of the CAC. Mrs. Silverstone volunteered to do the editing. Annual Report - Ms. Ng told the Commission that the 1989 annual report must be completed by March 31st and that she would, therefore, need to have drafts of articles by the middle of March to compile them and send it to the printers. Mr. Komitor will have to do the "Chairman's Comments - Highlights of 1988. " Ms. Ng will do the members list and the budget. Ms. Ng will work with Mrs. Moss on the recycling article. Mr. Leddy and Ms. Ng will write about the Summer Conservation Program. Mr. Bernstein will write about the work on water pollution. Mr. Hohberg will be requested to do a summary of his water monitoring project. Meeting adjorned at 10:10 P.M. -5-