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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991_02_14 Conservation Advisory Commission Minutes C V Town of Mamaroneck RECEIVED Conservation Advisory Commission MAR 20 1991 PATRICIA A.DiCIOCCIO TOWN CLERK 740 West Boston Post Road P.°4N1ARONECK I.Y. Mamaroneck, N.Y. 10543 914-381-6133 MINUTES FEBRUARY 14, 1991 A regular meeting of the Conservation Advisory Committe (GAG) was held on Thursday, February 14, 1991, in Conference Room A of the Town Center, 740 West Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, New York. The meeting commenced at 8:07 PM. Members Present: Kevin G. Ryan, Chairman Charles Bernstein Susan Cavalieri Sandy Feldman Edward Hindin Martha Kaufman Others Present: Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Brown, Town residei.ts Bob Hohberg, Water Monitoring Consultant Mary Anne Johnson, Emeritus CAC Claudia Ng, Environmental Coordinator Christa Diels, Recording Secretary ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS New Member - Martha Kaufman, the CAC's newest member, was introduced by Kevin Ryan. Ms. Kaufman is replacing Gladys Sherak. Approval of Minutes - All members approved the minutes of the January 17, 1991 meeting. Meeting date change - The next CAC meeting will be on March 14, 1991 ; thereafter, meetings will be held on the first Thursday of each month. HILLTOP ROAD CONSERVATION AREA Ms. Ng provided the CAC members with a brief history of the problem at the Hilltop Road Conservation Area. She said that there is a little plot of public land known as the "Old Mill Site Conservation Area" on Hilltop Road in the Town of Mamaroneck. The Sheldrake River cuts through that parcel of land before entering into the Sheldrake River Trails Conservation Area. When that land was subdivided, the house that is now at 3 Hilltop Road was placed right next to the stream bank. The driveway goes over the stream, and it appears as if this public land is the private front yard of 3 Hilltop Road. She CAC Minutes 2/14/91 reported that, some time ago [on September 17, 1987] , the Livingston family, the current residents at 3 Hilltop Road, attended a CAC meeting and requested that this public area be landscaped. The CAC told the Livingstons to devise a landscape plan and return to the CAC for approval. The Livingstons never returned; instead they proceeded, without permission, to weed, plant, Construct on, and otherwise "manicure" this public, natural preserve into something quite different from what the Town originally intended. Ms. Ng stated that the Town officials, including the Town Supervisor have made several site visits. In addition, the Town Attorney wrote a letter to the Livingstons. No accusations were made; the Attorney simply stated that the Town has taken note of what has occurred. The Town Board wants the CAC to advise them on this matter, keeping the following points in mind: The Livingston's trees and other plantings make this parcel of land appear as if it is their private property, thereby deterring other families from using and enjoying it. Moreover, the species chosen are not indigenous to this area, and the Livingston's had no authorization to plant there. Should the Livingston's plantings be removed? Should the Conservation Area be made park-like or should it be returned to its natural state? What do the neighbors prefer? Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Brown, Town residents at 28 Country Club Road, in the Hilltop Road Conservation Area neighborhood, attended this CAC meeting to express their concern, if not dismay, over what has become of the Old Mill Site. The Browns said that other families in the neighborhood are just as unhappy about the Livingston's actions as they are. Mr. Brown provided the CAC with a background of the property at 3 Hilltop Road. The original owner of the lot was a friend of his, Mr. Marty Duvelier. Mr. Duvelier sold the property to the Warners, who built and lived in the house that the Livingstons later bought. Not only did Mr. Warner build his house within five feet of the stream bank; he also planted trees in front of the Old Mill Site, effectively screening it from passers-by. The Livingstons have since planted yet another row of evergreens. Mr. Brown stated that he used to take his grandchildren for walks and picnics along the stream banks; however, since the Livingstons have transformed the preserve, he feels as if he is trespassing on their private property. When Ms. Ng visited the site, she and Mr. Brown found the Town's "Old Mill Site Conservation Area" sign taken down and thrown away into the woods. The Browns would like to see the hemlocks removed and the Old Mill Site returned to its original, natural state. Ms. Ng further noted that the Livingstons wanted to buy the property and that there was a poison ivy problem at the site. In addition, they complained that their neighbors' gardeners defecated there. To this, Mr. Brown responded, "No one would use it for the purposes that they said if they hadn't planted the trees there. " After considerable discussion, Mr. Hindin summarized the CAC's position by stating that the CAC wishes to ensure that public property is kept that way. The Old Mill Site Conservation Area is to be reclaimed and kept for public purposes and should not be permitted to be used as a private preserve. Mr. Hindin was uncertain about how this should be accomplished. He felt that the sign should go back up. Perhaps a bench should be installed and the Livingston's plantings should be trimmed and/or removed. Mr. Hindin concluded the discussion by asserting that, regardless of the mode of implementation, the Town must make clear to the Livingstons that the Old Mill Site is public property, accessible to all and that it is not to be used for private purposes. The CAC decided to visit the site on Saturday, February 23, 1991 at 11 a,m. -2- GAC Minutes 2/14/91 CONSULTANT LIAISON REPORTS Water Monitoring Program -- Bob Hohberg Mr. Bob Hohberg began his presentation with a discussion of the East Creek Area which, along with the Hommocks Marsh into which it flows, have been designated a Critical Environmental Area. Although he had worked on the East Creek just a few years ago (1988) , he has been considering testing this area again since last fall, when some of his students discovered a coliform problem in several different locations. He said that three students calculated a coliform count of greater than 2400 organisms per 100 milliliters in their samples and explained to the CAC that "2400 organisms per 100 milliliters closes the beach." Mr. Hohberg said that when he worked on the East Creek Area several years ago, he had corrected an eighteen-inch sewer line break which was across from where the East Creek sewer line comes out of the Boston Post Road; however, he said that the field men on the road crews told him that there is a possibility that there is another bypass (i.e. , a sewer line bypass that is definitely in place and emptying into the creek) . He hasn't found that bypass yet, but he expressed concern over the possibility that it may exist. Mr. Hohberg felt that, although there is a problem or potential problem at East Creek, he would still like to continue with his Sheldrake River project for the ten-year check, as originally planned. He felt that it would be possible to do a spot check of East Creek while devoting most of his time and resources to the Sheldrake River. Mr. Hindin expressed concern about the CAC's limited resources and time, and wondered whether the problem at East Creek might be a public health problem that should be handled by the Town instead. In response, Mr. Hohberg said that notifying the Town at present would be premature; he does not have enough data yet. If the CAC feels that the East Creek problem is serious enough, then he can recheck it this summer. Then, if his suspicions are confirmed, he would notify the New York State DEC and the Department of Health. Ms. Ng asked Mr. Hohberg how much sampling was necessary at East Creek before he would submit the preliminary information to the Town or County. Mr. Hohberg said that, in order to get a clear picture of the downstream movement, he would have to sample the creek every thirty-three meters or so. The CAC members spent a considerable amount of time questioning the importance and urgency of the East Creek problem relative to sampling the Sheldrake River. When asked whether waiting one year to conduct the Sheldrake River Project would make a significant difference, Mr. Hohberg said "No". At that point, all the CAC members voted in favor of having Mr. Hohberg concentrate on the East Creek research only. Mr. Hohberg asked whether the CAC would permit students under his direction, to do some water sampling on the Sheldrake. Again the CAC approved. TASKFORCE REPORTS Conservation Areas/Work Plan: Mr. Ryan opened this discussion by questioning whether there are any specific projects that the Taskforce has planned; if not, Mr. Ryan felt that a new force should be created in its place. Ms. Ng disagreed. She said that finding help is a problem, but that much work remains. For example, she -3- R CAC Minutes 2/14/91 M Q suggested trying to get local students to make signs. This would serve the dual purpose of improving the visibility of conservation areas and encouraging young people to become environmentally aware. Mr. Ryan suggested that Martha Kaufman take Gladys Sherak's place on this taskforce. All CAC members voted in favor of the nomination. Landscaping/Maintenance Pamphlet Mr. Hindin presented the plans that he, Susan Cavalieri, Charles Bernstein, and Elizabeth Lehman devised for the creation, publication and distribution of a series of pamphlets that will encourage residents to become more conscious and concerned about their environment. He provided an outline of the key elements involved in the production of these brochures, which included the tone, format, voice, style, timing, distribution, information sources, additional resources required, and costs (see Memorandum to the CAC from Edward M. Hindin, dated February 14, 1991) . Ms. Ng provided the committee with preliminary cost estimates. She mentioned that inserting one of the two 1991 brochures into one of the Town mailings would substantially lower the cost. As the meeting came to a close, both Mr. Ryan and Mr. Hindin said that before the CAC could reach a decision on the feasability and desirability of the pamphlets, more detailed budget comparisons would be required. Mr. Hindin said that he would work with Ms. Ng on figuring out those costs. 41:1 The meeting adjourned at 10: 10 PM. -4-