Kensington Conservation Commission
Minutes of April 13, 2010
Members in attendance: Heather Douglas, Sydnee Goddard, Joan Skewes, Rob Garneau
1. Call to order 7:40.
2. Group met with David Viale from the Southeast Land Trust and John Sargent to discuss next steps in plans to purchase 15 acres of land from John Sargent. Group will perform a site walk on Sunday, April 18 at 4 p.m. to review boundaries and make a list of materials to be removed from the property. Next steps following the site walk include writing a letter of intent stating that the Kensington Conservation Commission intends to purchase the property from John Sargent, a survey of the property, a Phase I environmental assessment, title search and other standard closing procedures. John will pay for the surveyor, and David will send him a list of surveyors. Estimated costs of the purchase, including placing the land in a conservation easement, are between $95,000-100,000. Group discussed combining future Sargent easement with abutting easements. David to get the group costs, timeline of the process, and advantages of that approach.
3. Discussed possibility of a conservation easement on the Frank's property off Cottage Road. David Viale of Southeast Land Trust met with the Franks and did a site walk. David will get a rough sense of the possible cost and look into sources of funding and get back to the commission.
4. Roadside cleanup is this week.
5. Group decided to ask Wyatt Merrill to move birdhouses from their present location in the middle of the Great Brook Conservation Area to the tree line to facilitate haying.
6. Motion to pay $100 from the Kensington Conservation Commission administrative budget for annual dues to the Exeter River Local Advisory Committee (ERLAC) was approved.
7. Motion to pay $100 from the Kensington Conservation Commission administrative budget to renew the annual membership with the Southeast Land Trust to assist with the administration of conservation easements was approved.
8. Adjourned 9:13 p.m.