CONSERVATION COMMISSION

--> [Author:CMM] JFK CIVIC CENTER

50 ARCAND DRIVE

LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS 01852

March 18, 2009

Members Present:

Louisa Varnum, Kathy Downey, Chris Zacharer, Kyle Davis

Members Absent:

Alysha Lynch, Anne Chalupka

CALL TO ORDER

Chris Zacharer: Called the meeting to order at 7:05

ABBREVIATED NOTICE OF INTENT

Kanayo Lala

50 Stedman Street

Lowell, MA

DEP# 206-0639

Project Location: 50 Stedman Street

Proposed expansion of an existing parking lot

Kanayo Lela: We added the north arrow, the finish grade line. We have added a railroad tie retaining wall because of the 3-foot drop. We took out 2 parking spaces out to reduce the amount of fill. We took out the haybales and left just the silt fence. We added a 25-foot line from the top of bank. We are not crossing any 25-foot line

Louisa Varnum: Are you going to fill where the railroad ties are

Kanayo Lala: We are taking out a little topsoil and adding crushed stone

Louisa Varnum: Will the topsoil be used on the site

Kanayo Lala: Yes, we have a lot of space to use it.

Louisa Varnum: I am pleased with the revisions.

Chris Zacharer: Any comments from the public? Chair note that there are no public comments

Kathy Downey: Motion to close the public hearing

Louisa Varnum: second

All in Favor

Louisa Varnum: Motion to issue a Lowell Standard Order of Conditions based on the plans revised 2/10/09

Kathy Downey: Second

All in favor

NOTICE OF INTENT

City of Lowell - DPD

50 Arcand Drive

Lowell, MA 01852

DEP #206-0641

Project Location: Boott mills to Bridge Street

Proposed 700 foot extension of the Riverwalk from Boott Mill to Bridge Street

John Amadayo, Carol R. Johnson: The project is between the Boott Mills and the Bridge Street Bridge. It picks up where the current Riverwalk ends. We are extending slightly beyond the Cox Bridge. (Showed photos of the box culvert) We are buying a parcel from Nation Grid to get to the street level. We will be compiling with ADA. There is a 25-foot grade change. There are trees growing out of the wall that we will have to deal with. We are using the same details as in Phase 1. We will be scoring the top of the box culvert. There will be the same fixtures. We are extending the deck out with a cantilever section about 11 feet. Phase 1 has a number of extended decks. On the street there will be a level terrace with benches and trees. There will be L shaped stairs and ramps that switch back. There will be retaining walls for seating. The area will be framed with trees. We added an extra set of stairs at the far end. There will be three crossings to the box culvert. The existing pine trees will be kept. We are planting red maples, toopolo, river birch and American lindens. There will be native shrubs. We want to prune the river birch that already exists for an 8-foot clear zone. It will affect half of the vertical height on most of the trees. We do not intend to go beyond the edge of the box culvert. The only tree removed is the one growing out of the wall. We will be lighting the space with pole lights. The area will be well lit. The mobilization will occur from the National Grid Property, we will maintain the river wall throughout as erosion control. We will do the ask area first. The excavation and the retaining walls would be done next. As much of the construction will be done as we can with the wall in place. We will then dismantle the wall

Dave Shaffaer, TRC: We have submitted the certified receipts. We have also submitted to the Nation endangered species Program and Chapter 91. We are within the 30-day comment period for the Chapter 91 License. We are not aware of any comments.

Kyle Davis: Why are you filing for Chapter 91 License

Dave Shaffaer: Because of work over a navigable waterway

Chris Zacharer: Have you gotten any comments back

Dave Shaffer: We haven't gotten any back. We didn't get any for Phase 1 and don't expect to get any on this phase.

Kyle Davis: Did you do alternatives analysis

John Amadayo: We looked at many access alternatives. We looked at ramping in the river section. When this land became available we used it so there would be less in the river. We didn't describe it in the narrative

Chris Zacharer: You can submit a letter describing the alternatives for completeness

Kyle Davis: What are you doing about storm water management.

John Amadayo: There will be a pair of catch basins at the bottom of the slope. They will be infiltrating so there will be no outfall to the river

Dave Shaffaer: To calculate the depth at the infiltration basins we need to do some geo technical borings.

Chris Zacharer; Do you anticipate a dirty site

Diane Tradd: Most of the sites around the river are dirty.

Dave Shaffaer: The types of fill that TRC has encountered on river sites like this are usually sand and gravel with ash, brick fragments and some heavy metals. The material would have to be brought to a designated location. There is about 1300 cubic yards to be removed. The work will be done under LSP supervision.

Chris Zacharer: What is your timeline

Diane Tradd: we are not sure. The land transfer hasn't taken place yet.

Chris Zacharer: I have a letter from Mark Goldman wishing to be recorded in favor of this project.

Doug Gordon, abutter: How far are you going after the second set of stairs

John Amadayo: We are stopping just beyond the light pole

Christine Sincet, Winn Management: Will there be anything raised or lowered by the Boott Mills

John Amadayo: We are just picking up where we left off. Everything is the same level. We would like to thin out some of the trees for safety reasons

Chris Zacharer: We did allow that in Phase 1. Anything over 3-5 inches would have to stay

Louisa Varnum: The Lawrence Mills people didn't like that.

Christine Sincet: We have a direct video camera link on the walk 24/7

John Amadayo: We were thinking 2 or 3 slots of 8-10 feet

Chris Zacharer: I think it is more desirable to do selective thinning

Kathy Downey: Motion to close the public hearing

Louisa Varnum: Second

All in Favor

Kyle Davis: Motion to issue a Lowell Standard Order of Conditions with the following special conditions;

1. Proponent shall submit a stormwater plans and report for review and approval before construction

2. Proponent shall submit an alternatives analysis for improvements in the Riverfront area

3. A plan showing an inventory of the trees and selective pruning shall be submitted for review and approval

Louisa Varnum: Second

All in favor

REQUEST FOR DETERMINATION OF APPLICABILITY

Lowell National Historical Park

67 Kirk Street

Lowell, MA 01852

Proposed canal improvements

Chuck Parrot: We are here for 2 projects. The first is the upper Pawtucket Canal walkway from Thorndike to Broadway Street. It is ¾ mile long and is roughly parallel to Middlesex Street. It abuts mostly industrial property. There is a 20-foot strip that is owned by DCR. We have secured the rights to build the canal way. The canal is owned by Enel. We are buying 4 access points to get to the site. It will be like the other canalways. 7-8 feet wide. There will be a green buffer between the walk and the adjacent properties that will be approximately 12 feet wide. We will have to go under the School Street Bridge. So there is no traffic conflict. There will be a sloped walk from Thorndike St. We would like to raise the canal wall 2 feet to help with the grading. There will be planting materials to minimize runoff. There is very little tree vegetation currently. There are some places where the abutters are encroaching right up to the canal. There will be a fair amount of construction needed at the red bridge at Pevey Street. We are working with the Boys Club to preserve their ability to drive around their building. This is one of the best canal walls in the city. We are hiring an environmental consultant to do the permitting.

Louisa Varnum: You are planting quite a few new trees.

Chuck Parrot: Mostly all of the plantings will be new. There is not a lot growing out there now.

Louisa Varnum: Are you planning on sedimentation control

Chuck Parrot: During construction, yes

Louisa Varnum: will the walk be concrete

Chuck Parrot: Bituminous

Louisa Varnum: You are excavating some are you bringing any material in

Chuck Parrot: I believe so. I don't think the excavated material would be suitable for building on

Kyle Davis: Will you be maintaining in the winter

Chuck Parrot: No, we do not maintain our walks in the winter.

Chuck Parrot: The second project is the Falls overlook. It is about 5/8 of a mile from the School Street Bridge to the bathhouse on Pawtucket Blvd. It will connect to the esplanade and the downtown system. It will make the area more user friendly. The edge along the stone retaining wall is very narrow. The lower portion will meander through the park. It will run along the sidewalk, which will be extended by 18 inches away from the road. The existing trees will be retained and new trees will be planted. There will be a small seating area near the dam. We would like to take out some of the growth to open up the view. We will be adding a buffer to the highway guardrail. There will be a pedestrian bridge over the Clay Pit Brook.

Louisa Varnum: It looks like the trees get wiped out

Chuck Parrot: No, we just didn't put them on the plan

Louisa Varnum: I love those trees

Chuck Parrot: The intention is to leave all the trees except where the seating area is.

Louisa Varnum: On future plans I would like to see all the trees shown. The planting plan says white pine but it is too small an area for white pine.

Kyle Davis: Are you reconstructing the sidewalk

Chuck Parrot: From Flag Meadow down

Chris Zacharer: I have a letter from Mark Goldman wishing to be recorded in favor of this project

Louisa Varnum: Motion to continue.

Kyle Davis: Second

All in Favor.

NOTICE OF INTENT

City of Lowell - DPD

50 Arcand Drive

Lowell, MA 01852

DEP # 206-0642

Project location: 939 Lawrence St to Bradford Industries

Proposed construction of a greenway along the Concord River starting at Lawrence Street and ending at Bradford industries

Jeff Malloy, BCS Group: This is the second phase of the greenway. It is approximately 1600 feet starting at Lawrence St going north parallel to the Concord River ending at Bradford Industries. It is a bituminous concrete path 12 feet wide. It is a limited project on a former railroad bed. It is for pedestrian use only. It will not be maintained in the winter. The grade slopes away from the river. There is a 505 vegetated swail or pervious area the runoff goes to. The site is entirely within the buffer. We tried to stay out of the 25-foot riverfront area. The erosion control is set at the 25-foot line. There are a couple of deviations from the path where there are stone dust trails. We will be pruning to increase the view. There will be no work in the floodplain. There is no impact to the bank. There are 2 outfalls in the swail. At the Lawrence street end there will be some parking, granite bounds and plantings. There will be removal of the phragmites. They were not delineated as wetlands.

Andy Ogilvie, AECom: The stormwater migrates peak flow through the swails. There is runoff from the cemetery and the wooded area. It is currently collecting in the washout areas. The swail is on the upstream side. The swail are not designed for recharge. It has been graded to provide storage and will provide some recharge. We didn't meet the full recharge requirements but we did the best we could.

Chris Zacharer: It is currently pitched away from the river

Andy Ogilvie: It will stay that way

Doug Gordon: What about the bridges that will connect to Centennial Island

Andy Ogilvie: That will be another phase of the project.

Chris Zacharer: I have a letter from Mark Goldman wishing to be recorded in favor of this project

Kathy Downey: Motion to close the public hearing

Kyle Davis: Second

Kyle Davis: I don't feel that there was enough effort put into the stormwater with regards to discharging to the river. I would like to see more effort put into additional phases of the project. The project is for a public good so I am in favor of it.

Kyle Davis: Motion to issue a Lowell Standard Order of Conditions.

Louisa Varnum: Second

All in Favor

MINUTES

Kathy Downey: Motion to approve the minutes of the 3/4 meeting

Louisa Varnum: Second

All in Favor

ADJOURN

Kathy Downey: Motion to adjourn

Kyle Davis: Second

All in favor

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DRAFT DRAFT

FAX (978) 970-4262 PHONE (978) 970-4252

08-21-02 document