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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994_12_01 Conservation Advisory Commission Minutes 210t5 Town of Mamaroneck Conservation Advisory Commission 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, N.Y. 10543 I•.�' 914-381-7845 00) , (Y'- O.cC MINUTES December 1 , 1994 A regular meeting of the Conservation Advisory Commission (CAC) was held on Thursday, December 1 , 1994 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: Martha Kaufman Steve Scarangella Peter Beshar Ruth Merson OTHERS PRESENT: Nancy Sterbenz , CZMC Mary Anne Johnson, Emeritus Eve Nudelman, Environmental Coordinator Bob Hohberg, Consultant - Water Monitoring Vincent Malfetano-Cemetery Chair Mamaroneck Historical Society Donald March-President Mamaroneck Historical Society Phyllis Wittner - CZMC Virginia Neumeister-Trustee Liaison Village Mamaroneck Kathleen O' Flinn-Town Liaison Steve Altieri-Town Administrator I . ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS A. The minutes of September 8, 1994 were approved as submitted, on a motion from Martha Kaufman, seconded by Steve Scarangella. II . BUDGET • Steve Altieri briefed the Commission on the CAC' s budget and answered questions . Village of Larchmont • Unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck • Village of Mamaroneck t414, Printed on Recycled Paper CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 Fund A8510 This budget is really the CAC' s budget and refers to the expenditures that the CAC incurs not only for their operations as a Commission but also for the maintenance of the Conservation Areas . The maintenance of the Conservation Areas is something the CAC does throughout the Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont. The following budget is reflective of the things the CAC wanted to complete in 1995 : Line 4030 is the expected expense for the watershed booklet to be distributed in the Town of Mamaroneck and upstream communities . S . Altieri said that if the CAC could get the booklet into a final form the Town could send it up to the Company that does the Town' s Recreation Dept . booklets for printing estimate . The CAC is requesting $5 , 000 for 1995 . Line 4035 is a Consultant Line . If the CAC decides it wants to do a consultant report or get some kind of outside assistance such as editing costs for Watershed Booklet . The CAC is requesting $2 , 600 for 1995 . P . Wittner said that Mary Anne hired an editor . Her name is Diane Selditch. She is the editor of Eco-Log, a Soundwaters publication and also is the editor of a Long Island Sound supplement in the Greenwich Times . Line 4177 - is for trail maintenance and Conservation Area signs . The CAC is requesting $3 , 000 for 1995 . Line 4178 - Native Plantings for Conservation Areas . The CAC is requesting $3 , 000 for 1995 . Fund B 8090 : Environmental Control . This budget is for the Unincorporated Area. Line 4001 - Telephone charge for valve at the Larchmont Reservior. These are the lines that connect the computers to Alan Mason' s house and also to a Town employee with a lap top computer, with the ability to access the control valve and determine how far opened it is and if there are any problems in its operation. Line 4030 - Printing and Stationary for Tree Planting Brochures . The CAC is requesting $3 , 025 for 1995 . Line 4035 - Consultants Service - Water Monitoring Consultant . Line 4114 - Professional Services - for additional clerical work 2 CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 for work in the Unincorporated Area. The CAC is requesting $1 , 200 for 1995 . Line 4192 - Valve Automation - small account in case Town needs some repairs to the Valve . Line 4221 - Water Monitoring - supplies and equipment B . Hohberg uses for his testing. Line 4223 - Town' s Contribution to the L . I . F.E . Center. III . CONTINUING BUSINESS A. Conservation Area Encroachment Letters Steve Silverburg' s opinion is that because the Conservation Area' s are not surveyed and because we would have to be certain that any encroachment is in the Conservation Area, a number of the areas in violation would be difficult to prove absent someone actually observing a violation taking place . However, a sign such as a burglar alarm or invisible dog fencing relating to the particular residence would be a violation . He suggested, as proposed by Steven V. Altieri that we send a letter to the property owners ajoining the Conservation Areas , perhaps with a copy of the local law. We could point out nicely in the letter to the people living in that general area, that the Town has noticed some violations of encroachment into the Conservation Area ' s and would appreciate the cooperation of the property owners in either clearing up the violation they may have caused or reporting violations that they may observe being made by others . This includes burglar alarm signs , invisible dog fencing, garden debris , landscaping with or ornamentals and other plantings , etc . This might then be followed up by a specific letter to a specific property owner where there are observable violations . Commission members agreed to write letters to property owners where signs and invisible fencing are noticed and inform them that these violations should be removed from the Conservation Area, that they have a month to remove violation and to notify the Building Inspector when its done . Additionally, they should be advising their gardener or whoever takes care of their property, that the Conservation Area is Town property and it shouldn' t be violated by this type of encroachment . A resident volunteer will be contacting them to aquaint them with the proper uses of the Conservation Area. 3 • CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 K. O' Flinn asked for a volunteer to help put language together for these two different types of violations , signs and garden planting/dumping of debris . N. Sterbenz and S . Scarangella agreed to help put language together for these letters and to talk to these people after the letters go out . B. "Do ' s and Don' t' s" Conservation Area Article M. Kaufman & P . Beshar put some language together for an article for the Town' s next newletter. The article should list all of the Town Conservation Areas . The article should be prefaced by a paragraph or statement about how fortunate we are to have so many Conservation Area' s within walking distance of home . The article should list names of the Town' s Conservation Areas and go on to say what the "Do ' s and Dont ' s" are . Conservation Areas to list are the Sheldrake-Leatherstocking, Hommocks , and Premium Conservation Areas . As an aside , P . Wittner, CZMC Chair, mentioned that there is a problem at the Premium Conservation area. There is a group playing paint ball and war games with paint and are also constructing shelters in the Conservation Area. She thinks there should be a "Do' s and Dont ' s" sign at the Premium Conservation Area. K. O' Flinn asked M. Kaufman to submit a final draft of the article and E . Nudelman to submit to P . Gabbriellini for next Town newsletter . C. Water Monitoring Consultants Report R. Hohberg reported on Mamaroneck River Study of Summer, 1993 . Copies available in the Conservation Office . Aside from this work, B. Hohberg has assisted the Town in other areas . He sampled and tested the waters in the Premium drainage system at Sherwood Drive, above the carwash and suspicions are still present . He sampled the Pine Brook drainage system at Madison and Fifth and those waters are still suspicious . He is still finding pollution there . Any point pollution B . Hohberg found during the summer study of the Mamaroneck River, he reported to Village Manager, Matt Galliger and Joe Lanza, Mayor . He tested turbidity, salinity, pH, nitrite/nitrate , coliform count, fecal count, and emulsified oil . B . Hohberg found heavy turbidity and emulsified oil at Mamaroneck Avenue and Saxon Drive . Additionally the water there is slightly 4 • CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 basic which may indicate industrial waste pollution and runoff . There is stormwater runoff entering the Mamaroneck River from the highway, there . B . Hohberg recommends that this station be monitored as a first flush runoff point pollution site . Surface boom placement is a possible solution. Bradley Avenue, Station Plaza ( 16 , 000 organism/100 ml ) , Halstead Ave . and Ward Ave . have a high total coliform count . B . Hohberg recommended that dye testing of contiguous sewer lines be undertaken at Station Plaza and Bradley Ave . B . Hohberg reported that on 11/16/94 he received a call from Shimon Gitlitz , Deputy Highway Superintendant to test drainage system in the parking lot at the Larchmont Gables . He measured 920, 000 organisms in that drain . The owner has been notified to cease and desist. The next step would be legal action. It seems as if their sewer system was hooked up to the storm drains . IV NEW BUSINESS A. Historic Cemeteries Don March and Vincent Malfetano from the Historical Society discussed what they thought needed to be done to help with the restoration of the Town' s Historical Cemeteries . Don March says that a survey of the existing cemeteries needs to be done first . A survey would include head and foot stones, trees , landscaping, and old pathways , etc . . The important thing is recognizing head and foot stones . The Hockberg survey (which can be found in a local library) lists all the burials in Mamaroneck. It was done back in the sixties . It ' s a survey of where the burial sites are, what vegetation grows in the cemeteries , and the periods of the stones . There is obvious encroachment of neighboring backyards into the cemeteries . There needs to be a mapping of the cemeteries to find the boundaries and establish fencing. Mr. March said that under the state statute, technically the cemeteries are abondoned, the town assumes responsibility and by law the Town is responsible for clean-up 3 times a year and is also responsible for fencing. It doesn' t say anything about putting the tombstones back. S . Scarangella suggested going through the cemeteries and making a list of trees that have to come down and debris that has to be removed and give it to the Highway Department . K. O' Flinn said that in the coming years budget, there is $5 , 500 set aside for the care of the cemeteries and typically the town does spring 5 • CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 clean-up and grass cutting. Members agreed that a survey be done first before they do any clean-ups in the spring to give the crews some sort of direction. Mr. March recommended that the commission take advantage of an appointed government official , the Town historian, Gloria Poccia Pritts . The cemetery at the High School is being used as a place of smoking by the High School students . There is sitting on headstones . There is a stone there from 1808 . Mr . March also expressed that he would like to see the cemeteries landmarked and made some kind of conservation area because of the plantings in them. K. O' Flinn asked S . Scarengella to organize his neighbors to do a survey. B . Annual Report - Tabled until the January 5 , 1995 meeting. V. Other Business A. Eve Nudelman put together an Arbor Day Ceremony at Hommocks School on December 1 , 1994 . A class from the Middle School joined in and tossed soil into the hole and helped plant the tree. Rob Messenger, DEC Forester attended as well as teachers John Zappala and Mary Everett. B . K. O' Flinn reported that B. Colleary spoke to people about applying for an ISTEA grant for a tree planting project at the Thruway ramp at Madison Avenue . The people she spoke with at the State and Thruway Authority indicated to her that this is something that would be appropriate . The better prepared the grant is , the better, because it is a competitive grant. C. S . Scarengella attended a CZMC meeting where the County discussed their Saxon Woods pool project . They are trying to keep development within the existing foot print and will be landscaping in garden-like way. D. P . Wittner showed the Commission a letter that is being circulated by the School Board. These are the ideas for expanding space in the schools . One of the proposals calls for expanding the Hommocks School . She thought a strong objection would probably come from CAC because this is a Town Critical Environmental Area. 6 y t CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 VI . Announcements/Correspondence Correspondence - TO CAC: - Environmental Update - A Newsletter of Cornell ' s Center for the Environment-Fall 1994 . - Garbage - Fall 1994 . - ESF Quarterly - Summer 1994 . - Land Use Law Center Questionnaire . - Wild in New York - Division of Fish & Wildlife Newsletter, DEC. - Pollution Prevention Bulletin - Summer, 1994 . - The Hudson Valley Green Times - Autumn, 1994 . - Virginia Neumeister, Trustee Village of Mamaroneck re : "Watershed Booklet" . - EMC Quarterly Meeting Minutes , Next meeting December 7 , 1994 - Terra Firma, Sierra Club, October - November, 1994 . - SUNY ESF - Survey of Officials re : Local Tree Cutting Regulations . - Arbor Age - September, 1994 - NYSDEC - Water Bulletin - Fall , 1994 . - 25th Anniversary Study of the Dept. of Environmental Conservation - October 18 , 1994 . - Westchester County Soil & Water Conservation District - Wetland Protection in Westchester County. A Survey of Municipal Wetland Ordinances , Sept . , 1994 . - National Arbor Day Friends of Tree City USA, Membership Dues Notice and Annual Report/ Sept . 1994 Directory. - NYS DEC Waste Line - Spring/Summer, 1994 . - The Green Drummer - November-December 1994 . - Local Involvement for Environment - letter dated 11/1/94 regarding International Coastal Clean-up Day. - Environmental Planning Bulletin, October, 1994 . - Cooperative Connections - Fall, 1994 . - The Sound Watcher - November - December 1994 . - New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides , NYCAP News - Fall , 1994 . - On The Town - Newsletter of the Town of Mamaroneck, 9/94 . - Lifeline - L. I . F. E . Center News - November 1994 . - Oct . 1994 , Hudsonia . - Friends of the Reservoir Newsletter & Calendar, December 1994- March 1995 - Annual Membership Dues letter. - Announcements - - Westchester County EMC Quarterly Meeting and holiday reception, 12/7/94 . 7 - V CAC MINUTES-12/01/94 - Conference - Nov 3 & 4 . Metropolitan New York in the Greenhouse Infrastructure-Planning for an Uncertain Future . - NYSDEC - Regulatory Reform Proposal meeting Oct . 20 , Poughkeepsie Town Hall . eeting was adjourned at 9 : 58 p .m . . - Meeting Announcement - W.C . Dept . Parks , Recreation and Conservation & New York Coalition Alternatives to Pesticides Thursday October 27 , 1994 . Westchester County Center . Meeting Announcement - "Local Wetlands and Their Associated Uplands : A Conservation Challenge - Nov . 1 , 1994 - NYSDEC - Reform Proposals/Meeting Date - "Improving Our Environment, Improving our Economy: Regulatory Reform at the Dept. of Environmental Conservation - Oct . 20 , 1994 . - Meeting Announcement - The Hudson River Environmental Society, Inc . "Sustainable Development & Environmental Quality in the Hudson River Valley. " Nov . 22 , 1994 - Bear Mountain Inn. - Conference "Land Use -who decides?" 11/19 Armonk. The meeting was adjourned at 9 : 58 P .M. • 8