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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992_05_07 Conservation Advisory Commission Minutes -��- 1:: c_ac Jilt' 15.1992 PATRIRIATOWN ACLERK DiClOCCID � �!r4,`4ARONE' Town of Mamaroneck N.y. APPROVED Conservation Advisory Commission 740 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, N.Y. 10543 914-381-6133 MINUTES MAY 7, 1992 A regular meeting of the Conservation Advisory Commission (CAC) was held on Thursday, May 7, 1992 in Conference Room A of the Town Center, 740 West Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, New York. The mooting commenced at 8:15 p.m. Members Present: Louise Perez, Chairwoman Charles Bernstein Susan Cavalieri Edward M. Hindin Martha Kaufman Others Present: Robert P. Hohberg, Water Monitoring Consultant Mary Anne Johnson, Emeritus Claudia Ng, Environmental Coordinator Judy O'Gorman, Larchmont Village Liaison Shirleyan Price, Ad Hoc Member (Hammocks Property Owners Association) Ellen Morse, Recorder ALMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Minutes - The minutes of April 2, 1992 were approved after a minor change to page 4. Next Meeting - June 4, 1992. Notice - On Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. in the Court Room, the League of Women Voters, the LIFE Center, and the Citizens to Promote Recycling will have a community meeting on the recycling law. Town residents are invited to attend. It will be a live broadcast on LMC-TV, Channel 36. Representatives will be Town Administrator Steve Altieri, Supervisor Caroline Silverstone, Mayor Cheryl Lewy (VOL) , Environmental Coordinator Claudia Ng, and Jim Hogan from the County. OLD BUSINESS Letter to Honmlocks Conservation Area Neighbors - Shirleyan Price told the CAC that she had read the original letter to her homeowner's association group at their annual mooting and they were very receptive to it. She also told her group that they will be receiving their own personal letter soon. Ms. Ng suggested some minor changes to the letter CAC Minutes May 7, 1992 Page 2 which was approved by the Commission and will be signed by Chairwoman Perez. Ms. Price mentioned to the Commission that there are only sixteen members in her Association, excluding the neighbors on the left at the beginning of Hammocks Road. It was suggested that someway be found to include them in this particular project. Beautification Day - Follow-up - Chairwoman Perez reported for Councilwoman O'Flinn that aver 1,300 people participated as opposed to 800 last year. She felt more participated this year because it was better organized. She and Janet Day, Murray Ave. School LIFE Center Rep. , went around and preplanned which areas the classes would clean up. Shelley Hcansy's group were instrumental in getting a privately-owned vacant lot cleaned up next to Burbank Whittemore Real Estate on Boston Post Rd. The organizers will follow-up with the volunteer groups as to categorizing the kind of debris found. Thank you letters are expected to be mailed out today. Each school class that participated will receive a certificate. Long Island Sound Water Monitoring - Mr. Bernstein attended the task force meeting in Norwalk. They are preparing a boat which should arrive in about 10 days with the equipment and he will then be able to start the work. Because of the dredging done in the Harbour last year, the large survey which had been done a few years ago has now been made obsolete. They would like to get a new base data this year because next year the new sewage treatment plant will be in operation and they can make comparisons. Mr. Bernstein has been in contact with the Harbour Master but not anyone in the Village of Mamaroneck. Mr. Bernstein reported that they will determine the oxygen content which will determine haw much nitrates are coming into the harbour. Readings will be done once a weak, twice in one day at the same times (in the morning and late afternoon) until late September. A Rye group is also participating. The statistics will be sent to the Long Island Sound Task Force. Reusable Dry Cleaning Bags - Martha Kaufman wrote a letter which will be sent to all the dry cleaners in Larchmont and Mamaroneck. She is preparing the list. Tree Grant for the Premium - was approved. OORRESPONDENCES Incomirng: 4/3/92 - Memo from Wallace Irwin, Jr. offering suggestions on how to gain compliance with the mandatory recycling law. 4/3/92 - Copy of CZMC's memo on the Town of Mamaroneck's SEIS regarding the golf courses. ® CAC Minutes May 7, 1992 Page 3 4/13/92 - Ellen Stoutenburgh, NYS DEC re: 3rd quarter vouchers approved. 4/14/92 - Notice from the Planning Board and Draft EIS on the DiForio property. 4/21/92 - Copy of Supervisor C. Silverstone's letter to residents re: dedication of parkland Lots 124 and 579 on Block 105 adjacent to Conservation Trails. 4/21/92 - Premium River-Pine Brook Preservation Assoc. , Inc. Newsletter. Outgoing: 5/92 - Westchester County Dept. of Health re: R. Hohberg's report. 5/92 - Letter to Planning Board of TOM re: DiForio DEIS. CONSULTANT/LIAISON REPORTS Chairwoman Perez reported for Councilwoman O'Flinn that the Town surplus lands will be put on the books for appraisal. A list should be ready by next month's meeting in June. CAC will then review it. Water Monitoring - Bob Hohberg reported that the research students will be working with him and Dr. Thomas this summer in the Sheldrake and the Premium Marsh. He would like a letter from Steve Altieri stating as such. He has continued the regular station rounds and has finished with Harbour Island beach and the launching pier at Harbour Island. He noticed that some cleaning up has been done in the VOL at East Creek. A number of large replacement pipes are being installed around the Town. TASKFORCE REPORTS Storm Drain Stenciling - Susan Cavalieri suggested writing letters front the CAC to the first and sixth graders who helped with stenciling. Almost all the drains have been painted on Chatsworth and Larchmont Avenues between the Post Road and Palmer Avenue. Some were also done on the streets between Chatsworth and Larchmont Avenues, and on Vandenburgh and Wendt Avenues. On Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. some Hammocks School service clubs will paint around Gardens Lake and along Brookside Drive. The rain date will be Saturday, May 16. Miss Ng will call the Daily Times reporters to do a story and to take pictures. As there was no newspaper coverage for the previous stenciling, Chairwoman Perez will write a letter to the Editor if coverage is missed again on May 9. Some scout groups will go out near the end of May or beginning of June to paint. Mrs. Cavalieri reported that the Village of Tarchmont has so far CAC Minutes May 7, 1992 Page 4 only approved painting on Chatsworth and Larchmont Avenues. The Town has permitted painting anywhere, and John Zappala will handle painting in the Village of Mamaroneck. Premium Sign - Ms. Ng reported that the 10" x 12" bronze plaque sign has been ordered and will arrive in six weeks. DIFORIO SUBDIVISION DEIS (707 WEAVER STREET) This subdivision will leave the house remaining on a big lot in the back and subdivide the front into two ' separate lots. There are two drains, one draining into a little pond and the other draining through the Paley property. They intend to build drainage basins. There is concern of silting into the lower Reservoir from construction which will take away the buffer for the Reservoir. Mr. Hohberg noted that there are drains already coming in f um New Rochelle from the Bayberry Country Club, and that everything that comes into the Reservoir flows into Gardens Lake. He feels there is a potential for point pollution from the pipe which is to be installed. Other concerns noted are: the report states environmentally safe products are to be used on their lawn, but these measures cannot be guaranteed or monitored. Also, some of the recommended products mentioned contain ingredients which are not good for the Reservoir or for the wildlife and people. Mr. Martin reported that the 48" pipe which is to be installed in the lower part of the property is to act as a retention basin. At CZMC's last meeting, calculations were done on various amounts of rain fall, and it was decided the pipe would not have enough capacity to hold the water. Since CZMC is not mentioning the retention problem of this pipe in their response, it was decided that CAC will put it in theirs. Ed Hindin recorded CAC's list of concerns: Accuracy of the elevations; why so much fill and effects on trees, the need to protect against silting into the lower Reservoir and silting during construction; include a statement that the CAC and the Town's objective is to protect areas surrounding wetlands and areas as buffers; there's no guarantee that suggesting mitigation measures will be accomplished; concern about runoff into the small stream; question whether or not the 48" pipe can handle a five-year storm and what is the control release mechanism and how will it be maintained; existing flooding conditions have not been identified by DEIS; who will maintain the catch basins and oil separators in the future; information about water table not complete; conclusions drawn are based on area data not site specific data; suggestion that there be a review of a proposed plantings plan as part of the DEIS. The main questions are: what happens to run off, drainage, trees in the existing site, and how is the Reservoir protected. Martha Gershun had told Chairwoman Perez that she would help draft the letter. Ms. Ng stated that the deadline for written comments is May 26, 1992. • CAC Minutes May 7, 1992 Page 5 ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR REPORTS Trap Shooting - Ms. Ng spoke to Steve Goldstein a former CAC Chairman who is concerned about lead shot being used for trap shooting at Flagler Drive in the Village of Mamaroneck by the Sound. He asked if CAC could have testing done for lead shot. Some members suggested speaking to Terry Backer and John Cronin who recently did a report on lead problems in the Housatonic. Conservation Areas - Vandalism - Ms. Ng reported that the bridges in the Sheldrake Trails area and part of the Leatherstocking Trail had the railings torn off some time between Saturday and Sunday afternoon following Beautification Day on April 25. Recycling Survey - Update - Ms. Ng had a response from JoAnn of Larchmont Nurseries concerning plastic recycling. She would be happy to participate but when she called the Company she was told she needed 8 pallets worth of plastic in order to get free delivery. As she can only store two pallets at a time, she would like storage assistance from the Town. Chairwoman Perez will mall the other local nurseries to see if they would cooperate in a coordinated effort and inquire as to whether any nursery organizations could help. Naturalist Consultant - Ms. Ng met with Steve Coleman for 2 1/2 hrs. and he gave advice on several areas including the Hammocks. He said that the vines should be cut from the roadside and to allow brush to expand on the meadow side. Ms. Price asked if the Highway Department would go in on Hammocks Road and cut down overgrown vines. Also she would like large logs removed which is debris from trees that were cut down. Chairwoman Perez suggested that someone be present when the Highway Dept. goes in to make sure the correct debris is removed. Ms. Ng reported that there will be an FCWC Annual Meeting on June 3, 1992 for anyone interested in attending. NEW OR OTHER BUSINESS Chairwoman Perez announced the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation Annual Dinner and Awards in Peekskill, N.Y. The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.