=
Town of
Pelham, NH<=
span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>=
Pelham Conservation Commission<=
/o:p>
6 Villag=
e Green
Pelham, NH <=
st1:PostalCode
w:st=3D"on">03076-3723
MEETING OF 11/08/06 =
&nb=
sp; APPROVED
12/13/06
Members Present: &n=
bsp; =
; &n=
bsp; Absent: &=
nbsp;
Paul Gagnon, Paul Dadak, &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Lisa
Loosigian , Jay Stearns
Karen MacKay, Glennie Edwards (Alt) &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
Chairman Paul Gagnon brought the meeting to order at <=
st1:time
Hour=3D"19" Minute=3D"35" w:st=3D"on">7:35 p.m
Mr. Gagnon read the agenda and advised that only two c=
ases
would be heard out of the four that were listed on the agenda. (Not heard were: 38/1-55 and 38/1-=
53).
NEW BUSINESS:
M/L: 41
6-26, P.J. Keating Materials/Redimix Companies, Inc., Bridge Street (Route 38), to discus=
s the
Conceptual Site Plan for a proposed concrete batch plant
Presenting this case were David Bissonnette, president=
of Ready-mix
Companies and Dan Blais of T.F. Moran.&nbs=
p;
Mr. Bissonnette gave a history of Redimix. He also named other Redimix plants=
in New England.
Redimix is affiliated with P.J. Keating of Dracut, MA..
There are several parcels of land that make up the Kea=
ting
Materials site. The plan that=
is
before the Commission is to erect a concrete batch plant at the corner of r=
oute
38 and Coburn Road. The plant will be located behind an
existing earthen berm that has trees growing on top of it that are between =
35
to 40 feet high. The berm is
approximately 20 feet high on the route 38 side and 30 ft. high on the inte=
rior
side of the lot. This is a
previously quarried area and is 10 feet below the existing elevation of rou=
te
38. The overall height, including the berm, is 65-70 feet when measured from
the interior. Part of the
plant’s operating system would include silos for storage of materials
including Portland cement and aggregates.&=
nbsp;
The tallest silo is approximately 70 feet high and would be equal in
height to the top of the trees that are growing on top of the berm. Mr. Bissonnette said that he is
scheduled to go before the Board of Adjustment to seek two variances that
relate to the 3 to 1 set back on the front side and a 2 to 1 set back on the
side. On October 3 the subject
parcel was visited by a representative of N-Sar to determine if there were =
any
wetlands on the parcel. It was
determined that there were no wetlands.
Mr. Bissonnette anticipates that there will be 6 to 8
concrete trucks that will operate out of the plant on a daily basis and cal=
culates
around 5 round trips per truck per day.&nb=
sp;
The most recent traffic count was done in 2003 by the Department of
Transportation. The average d=
aily
trip count on route 38 at this location was 12,000 vehicles. Added to this will be approximatel=
y 80
trips for the trucks and about 20 trips for delivery of products (cement, s=
and,
etc.). One of the criteria fr=
om the
Planning Board is that this operation will operate with the present hours o=
f Keating
Materials. There may be some Saturday operating said Mr. Bissonnette and wi=
ll
be dependent on the demand for the products during the construction period,
mostly the summertime. There =
is no
septic or wells proposed for this site.&nb=
sp;
There is an existing building at Keating to accommodate bathroom nee=
ds
for the operators and drivers. The
Keating plant is in both the state of NH and MA. The conveyor which crosses above r=
oute
38 is approximately a couple of hundred feet into Massachusetts said Mr. Bissonnette. There will be block bins that will=
be
used for storage of aggregates of different size stones. Mr. Bissonnette said that when the
trucks come back there are times when there are products still on the truck=
that
will be recycled into 1 yard forms/blocks.=
As the trucks come back with product in them the trucks are off-load=
ed
into the blocks/forms to make 1 yard blocks. The blocks are then stacked on top=
of
each other to form bin barriers that hold the aggregates in place. The height of the blocks would pro=
bably
be no higher than 15 feet said Mr. Bissonnette. These bins will bump up at the rea=
r and
tucked in where the existing ledge/rock is that is already quarried. An office trailer, approximately 8=
ft by
35 ft. is also planned for the site and is similar to what you would see at=
a
construction site. The lighti=
ng on
the site will be motion activated and not lit 24 hours.
Member Dadak is an alternate on the Planning Board and=
heard
this presentation the previous Monday evening. He asked Mr. Bissonnette if he cou=
ld
describe where the existing quarry pond is. Mr. Bissonnette explained that the=
re are
a few bodies of water on the property that are the result of rain water in =
the
quarried depressions. They do=
not
drain because they are in solid rock.
The water will be used in the making of the concrete batches. The calculations have not been don=
e as
yet with regard to how much water will be needed per day for this
operation. Member Dadak asked=
if
they would be flushing the trucks out when they return to the site after a
delivery. The answer from Mr.
Bissonnette was that they do flush out the trucks when they return to the
plant. One way that this is d=
one is
that the trucks are rinsed down over settling basins that consist of four
“fill and spill” cells.
By the time the water gets to the fourth cell it is very clean water=
and
then it’s pumped out and re-used for further rinsing of the trucks.
It’s actually a recycling of the water and is environmentally friendly
said Mr. Bissonnette. Mr. Dad=
ak
asked if there was any discharge from the site. Mr. Bissonnette answered no. Mr. Dadak said that the Planning B=
oard
will be advising the town of D=
racut
of this operation in case they may have input or have any concerns. Chairman Gagnon asked if it is know=
n how
many gallons of water would be needed per day or per week. It’s estimated that it will =
be
15,000 gallons per day and would be the busier part of the year, from mid A=
pril
to mid November. If they are =
not
able to tap the water supply that is on site to what their needs are they w=
ill
pump water from the Dracut,
MA water main that is avail=
able.
Mr. Gagnon said he has concerns about the aquifer and will confer with our =
wetland
scientist. He’s also concerned about protecting the prime wetland and
advised that the town is in the process of declaring Beaver Brook as a prime
wetland. He said there is abo=
ut 9
miles of wetland boundary between route 38 and Mammoth Road and includes this area=
. He questioned if they can’t =
get
all the water that they need from the granite-basins that Mother Nature fil=
ls,
if for some reason that you find that you are draining them faster than they
are filling, are there wells on site that might be used. He asked if the next alternative i=
s to use
town water from Dracut which it’s be=
lieved
comes from the Merrimack River. Mr. Bissonnette said the water wou=
ld be
coming from the town of Dracut=
. Mr. Bissonnette said that same con=
cern
was expressed by a couple of board members on Monday evening with regard to
impact on area wells. He said=
there
are a couple of drilled wells on site already but they don’t have lar=
ge
amounts of water and not very productive.&=
nbsp;
Mr. Gagnon advised that the Planning Board has regulations governing=
the
amount of water that is taken from the aquifer and believes it to be 1000
gallons a day maximum. Mr. Ga=
gnon
also reiterated what Mr. Dadak had said with regard to nothing coming back =
to
the site that is environmentally hazardous. He was specific to the fill and sp=
ill
cells that is reclaiming water used to wash down the trucks. He also expressed concern of oil l=
eakage
from the trucks or old trucks that might be sitting around dripping gas. Occasionally there is an accessory
product that is used called “add mixtures” and is added to the
concrete for the purpose of adding desirable characteristics into the
concrete. The primary contain=
ment vessel
for these additives is hard plastic containers that are provided by the
vendors. In turn, they are pl=
aced
in a secondary containment structure.
They are not hazardous chemicals said Mr.Bissonnette. Mr. Gagnon also asked about the fi=
brous
materials that are added to mixtures for garage floorings. Those additives are poly-propane p=
lastic
or nylon and pretty innocuous said Mr. Bissonnette. In colder weather water is often he=
ated. The source for heating the water i=
s the
use of #2 fuel oil. The oil is
stored according to tank standards for this fuel type. The size of the fuel tanks would b=
e 3 to
4 thousand gallons. The water
holding vessels are about 11-12 feet in diameter and 35-40 feet in length.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> They tanks hold between 10 and 20
thousand gallons of water. Another option that might be instituted is the u=
se
of natural gas said Mr. Bissonnette.
Mr. Gagnon asked what they would be looking for from the Conservati=
on
Commission as there are no wetlands involved that require a dredge and fill=
and
nothing that would require a vote.
The answer was that they were going in front of the Planning Board a=
nd
Zoning Board and felt it was important to let us know that it was coming in=
to
our town and was providing us an opportunity for feedback as they move forw=
ard
in the process. Mr. Gagnon th=
anked
the gentlemen for this opportunity to give suggestions and get answers for =
any
concerns we might have.
Member Edwards questioned if the trucks remain on site=
at
night and what happens when the plant starts its operation in the morning a=
nd
what time they begin. This sa=
me
question was asked at the Planning Board’s meeting on Monday evening =
said
Mr. Bissonnette. In peak seas=
on it
would be common that the operation would begin at 6:30 in the morning. The Planning Board asked that they
basically fall in line with the hours of operation of Keating’s
operation. Mrs. Edwards=
asked
what the time-frame was when the truck begins the loading process to when i=
t is
ready to exit the plant. The =
answer
was about 3-4 minutes to load a truck.&nbs=
p;
She also asked if the petitioners knew how far away the nearest
residences were. That informa=
tion
was not available. The only n=
oise
would be the trucks on the roadway.
No secondary roads would be traveled on said Mr. Bissonnette. He said they abut residential
neighborhoods in Manchester
and have never received any complaints of noise. Mrs. Edwards asked if there
had been any concerns for the added traffic of the trucks entering and exit=
ing
and if yellow blinking lights might be considered to slowing the traffic do=
wn
or advising of the truck activity.
Mr. Dadak said that additional signs were discussed at the Planning =
Board’s
meeting on Monday evening
Mr. Gagnon said that there was no need for these gentl=
emen
to come back before the Conservation Commission, that he would be conferring
with the wetlands scientist, etc., and that there was no need for any vote =
to
take place. He thanked the
gentlemen for taking the time to come before the Commission.
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp;
OLD BUSINESS:
M/L: 38-1-118, Margarian Development, L=
LC,
Dredge & Fill Application
Senior Housing Development, Sherburne Road
Presenting this case are Brian E. Roy, P.E. and Timoth=
y J.
Watson, E.I.T. of Cuoco & Cormier Engineering Associates of Nashua, NH.=
Chairman Gagnon re-capped this
information relative to a dredge and fill application that was preliminary
submitted to DES. The Commiss=
ion
had a chance to review the report done by Mark West of West Environmental s=
ince
last month’s meeting. T=
he wetlands
involve three areas with a total impact of 5,600 s.f. (3,500 s.f., 200 s.f. and 1,900
s.f.) They will be providing
retaining walls and are crossing the wetlands at the narrowest points at al=
l 3
areas to minimize the impacts. Nothing
has changed with regard to square footage.=
There are two culverts under the 3,500 s.f. impact and one culvert at
the 1,900 s.f. impact.
Member Dadak commented on an abutter’s concerns =
where
the emergency access is where there is an existing treatment swale. The abutter’s concern was th=
at the
access was granted with the understanding that there would be a modificatio=
n to
the drainage swale already there and would then exit on to this property. Mr. Roy explained that Litchfield Circle
had left a 50 foot right-of-way to the Magarian property as part of their
subdivision process and the drainage easement and the storm water management
was placed within that 50 ft. right-of-way as well as to the side. They are reconfiguring that so tha=
t they
maintain their storm water treatment, detention volume and get that dischar=
ged
effectively into the wetlands where they are crossing the emergency
access. They will continue to
maintain their storm water management and conduct the water down into the
wetlands so that it is not impacting the abutters. Member MacKay had a question about=
the
culverts. She asked if the cu=
lverts
would be big enough to handle storm water and wondered if a bridge would be
better. It was explained that=
when
they do culvert designs, they design for the 50 year storm so that they are=
not
impounding water – two 24” culverts will be installed. It was explained that it depended =
on the
type of impact and any bridge that might be considered would be too close to
the ground, blocking sunlight with vegetation affected and the prohibitive =
cost. Mr. Roy also said that this whole
project is private and maintained by the condominium owners. This is a seasonal stream at best =
said
Chairman Gagnon. It is not a
running brook and doesn’t have a defined stream bed. Member Edwards asked if fencing is=
part
of the town’s ordinances where detention ponds are created. The answer was they were not aware=
of
any fencing requirements as these basins are designed to be dry. The only time that they would be f=
ull is
when there might be a very heavy rainfall.=
Member Dadak who lives just up the street said that the ground water=
is
very shallow at his property. He
asked about the test pits and whether the conditions of detention ponds are
affected by very shallow ground water.&nbs=
p;
Member McKay asked if these homes will have basements or are they
constructed on slabs and how will the septic systems be affected. This development will have a commu=
nity
water system. There will be o=
ne
well for the entire development and includes a pump house, emergency
generators, piping distribution system.&nb=
sp;
The system will be pressurized and the homes will be equipped with
sprinklers. It has to be desi=
gned
and operated by a licensed water well operator so the condominium associati=
on
will also have to contract that out.
In addition, they are doing community septic systems. Because of the water table, the be=
ds
will have to be raised. There=
will
be an onsite treatment system that includes two small self-contained treatm=
ent
plants. They are designed and
operated by a licensed sanitary engineer; the condominium association will =
have
to contract that out too. One=
of
the things that that permit is that it provides tertiary treatment and the
leach beds only have to be 25% the normal size of an average leach bed. There will be clean water go=
ing
into the ground and not be relying on the leach bed itself. Member Dadak asked for an explanat=
ion of
the pump test which determines if there is sufficient yield and if it affec=
ted surrounding
private wells. There was a st=
udy done
by Exeter Environmental. Perm=
ission
was granted by DES to locate and drill the well onsite – it has been
installed. Pump tests were
conducted. Part of the pump t=
est
included placement of equipment and monitor devices installed on
abutter’s wells with their permission. The tests showed a very good amoun=
t of
water available in the well itself and the affects on the abutting wells ap=
pear
to be negligible. There is li=
ttle
or no impact on abutting properties.
Member Dadak asked if there would be lawn irrigation system for this
development. The answer was t=
hat
there would not be an irrigation system installed but that a couple of opti=
ons
are being looked at. Either an
onsite irrigation well is being considered or to try to capture some of the
water on the backside of the detention basin so that it can be recycled back
through the system. There are=
no
structures to be erected in the WCD. Member Edwards asked how it is determi=
ned
that there is or is not an impact on surrounding private wells. The answer was that “they=
221; solicit
a number of abutting properties, within 1000 feet of the proposed well
location. Twelve out of 15
homeowners agreed to have monitoring systems put on their wells during the
tests. There is a 24-hour dem=
and,
also known as a draw down to see if any of the wells showed a decrease in w=
ater
supply or pressure. The test =
is run
at twice the capacity just to see what the affect would be and then recorded
how much the wells go down or in a couple of cases went up during the pump
test. The average drawn down =
was 6
to 8 feet – these wells are 200, 300, 400 and 500 feet deep. Member Dadak asked about submitting
color-coded plans as they can be easier to read.. He was told that there can be a ri=
sk,
that it should be consistent, so that those who are more creative might draw
your attention away using color as opposed to bringing your attention to a
certain area.
MOTION: (Edwards/Dadak) to approve/support =
the
5,600 sq. ft. of impact for a dredge and fill permit.
VOTE: 4-=
0
The chairman will submit a letter to DES stating our
approval.
MINUTES APPROVED:&nbs=
p;
10/11/06=
(Gagnon/McKay)
MOTION to adjourn meeting – 8:55 p.m.
The next meeting is scheduled for 12/13/06.
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; Respectfully
submitted,
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Glennie
Edwards, Recording Secretary