Kensington Conservation Commission

Minutes of June 10, 2008

Members in attendance: Rob Garneau, Joan Skewes, Sydnee Goddard, Heather Douglas

 

  1. Call to order 7:43.
  2. Minutes approved.
  3. Joan made a motion to appoint Heather as secretary.  Rob seconded the motion.  Unanimously approved.
  4. Greg Swanton of Swanton Seacoast Realty approached Sydnee to discuss potentially conserving a parcel of land he is interested in purchasing.  Group agreed that those funds are not available at this time.
  5. Reviewed draft letter to DES re: wetlands violation on Lewis property on Beaverdam Road.  Group reviewed history of pond development.  Decided to suggest that the pond be made as natural as possible, including an increase of vegetation in the northern edge that had been substantially cut back. 
  6. Rachel Stevens of Conservation Consulting met with group to discuss potential creation of a conservation brochure.   Group agreed that the overarching message would be to showcase Kensington’s natural resources and to inform residents how to protect those resources.  New England Grassroots Coalition might have funds to support the cost of the brochure.  Group to contact Rachel about next steps.
  7. Wetlands violation at 2 Hoosac Road.  Not enough selectman were present for a quorum so Sydnee will attend the Selectman’s meeting on Monday, June 16 to discuss there.
  8. Sydnee distributed materials about the Kensington master plan and conservation subdivisions for group to pre-read before joint meeting with the Planning Board and Selectmen on Tuesday, June 17th at 8:15.
  9. Cole closing on Tuesday, June 17th.  Sydnee to discuss easement language with selectman at meeting on Monday, June 16th at Selectman’s meeting.  They will also vote on accepting the Lewis donation for the Cole easement.
  10. Joan made a motion to have Steven Hale hay the town conservation land located at 259 North Haverhill Road (NH route 108) also known as the Great Brook Conservation Area once a year for three years, upon which the Conservation Commission will re-assess any impact the haying has had at that time.  Rob seconded the motion.  Unanimously approved.
  11. Group decided to walk the proposed site of the town trails before they are cut.  Sydnee will contact the representative for Mr. Lewis and ask him to mark the trails before cutting them.
  12. Rob reported about his walk on the Hodges Conservation Area with Sarah Callahan of the Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests.  No major violations were observed.  Joan and Sydnee are going to measure a horse fence abutting the property to determine if it is on Hodges’ land.
  13. Group discussed concerns about applying to roll-over the $190,000 in FRPP grant money to the Ryder property, including the tight timeline, complexity of the project with two easements and land in Exeter, as well as questions about development and public access.   Sydnee will explore these issues a bit further, and group agreed to have a special meeting if necessary.
  14. Adjourned 10:07 p.m.