KENT—The Inland Wetlands Commission Monday, June 24 made short work of approving five previous applications and accepting four new ones for consideration in July.
Quickly approved was an application from Rob Pulford, 4 Muller Rd., for the installation of a septic system for a barn bath. The proposal was presented last month by architect Wesley Wyrick, who explained that the existing system is substandard. Land Use Administrator Tai Kern has received a copy of the Torrington Area Health district approval for the design.
Next up, was approval of an extensive, multi-year project to remove invasive plants and replace them with native species on Karen Pittelman’s 173 Cobble Road property. The project was presented by Michael Baczewski, who explained the goal is to create a core habitat.
Because of the extent of the project, which will be done in phases, the commission approved the project with the condition that Baczewski return as each phase begins and that a new application be filed if there is any change of plans for any phase.
The Town of Kent had two projects approved. The first was for the first phase of the Maple Street Ext. streetscape. IWC Chairman Lynn Werner said that the previous month’s presentation of the project had been “pretty thorough in identifying wetlands and wetland soil types.”
In response to a question of whether the work would exacerbate the amount of water draining into Kent Commons, SLR representative Marc Mancini said the situation should be improved because more catch basins will be installed and clogged and collapsed culverts will be replaced allowing the water to drain away. “Ultimately the water will discharge in the same location, but this should help to reduce it,” Mancini said.
The second town application was for installation of a generator pad and conduits near Town Hall and the removal of an underground fuel tank. There is a small pond on Town Hall land, but it is 180 feet away from the proposed pad and the tank is behind the building. The plan was approved without comment.
Because of the extent of the project, which will be done in phases, the commission approved the project with the condition that Baczewski return as each phase begins and that a new application be filed if there is any change of plans for any phase.
Ross Cole returned with his revised plan to build a long driveway to his proposed 23 Stonewall Lane home. The drive would cross an intermittent stream and the commission had asked him to lengthen the span and to use an open bottom culvert to allow a more natural stream bed.
“The open-bottom culvert is a huge improvement,” said Cole, “and I tried to be very careful about how we were getting across the stream. The 12-foot span will easily cover that even when the water is high.”
In new business, the IWC advanced Colleen McGrath’s application to build a deck on the rear of her 73 Kent Cornwall Rd. house to next month for consideration. The deck will have minimal effect on the wetlands with only pressure treated supports sitting on cement SanoTubes. Her deck would be 80 feet from an intermittent stream, according to Kern.
Engineer Pat Hacket represented Peter Hearst in an application for realignment of a farm road on his 131 Treasure Hill Road property. Hacket said a resurvey of the property showed a small portion of the road was on a neighbor’s land.
Kern said the change would not only resolve the property issue but reduce the incursion into the wetlands. The new section would be 225 feet long, according to Hacket.
The abandoned section of road would be allowed to return to nature. No activity is anticipated on the property.
He will return to the table next month for a decision.
Angus Gracey, representing the Kent Land Trust, appeared to present an application to build a 40-foot-by-60-foot parking area near Richards Pond on Skiff Mountain Road. The gravel parking lot would require the removal of 88 yards of soft soils.
IWC member Jeff Galusha said the application “looks pretty solid with good protection around it. It all makes sense and is further away from the wetlands, so the site is well-chosen.”
It, too, will be decided next month.
Ronald and Michelle Saltz of 1 Anderson Acres applied to replace existing pipes under a farm road with a box culvert. Engineer George Johannesen said the existing culvert “had an incident and we’re trying to make it better. It worked fine until this last year when the culvert got backed up by vegetation.”
The clog, caused by a heavy storm bringing branches downstream that were too long to pass through, resulted in the water overtopping the road and washing out gullies.
He has designed a four-by-four-foot box culvert to accept the vegetation and would raise the road slightly to allow any water to flow alongside it and back into the watercourse. The work would be done when the water is low or not flowing at all to reduce siltation.
He, too, will be back before the board in July.
