With a full agenda, the Marion Conservation Commission got to work at Wednesday’s meeting to discuss a Notice of Intent by John P. and Mallory Y. Waterman of Water Street (at the eastern end of South Street) to reconstruct the wooden pier and repair or reconstruct the stone seawall. David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates represented the applicants.
“The depth of the water under the float was questioned and approved by the Marine Fisheries,” said Davignon. The board closed the hearing to take the issue under advisement.
The next hearing was a Notice of Intent by Marshall and Wilma Bailey, 41 Dexter Road, for a Notice of Intent to remove the existing licensed boardwalk/pier, gangway and float, construct a new 3.5- by 139-foot boardwalk/pier, 4- by 24-foot gangway, and 10- by 16-foot float, and to separate and relocate the two existing sheds onto new sono-tube foundations. A site plan and a pier plan were submitted to the board.
The site plan for the home showed a change in the placement of a shed. The May 20, 2014 revised plan for the pier had the harbormaster’s approval for a 24-inch separation from the sea floor to the base of the pier. Posts will be augured in. A 3 ½-foot walkway with a 20-foot fiberglass ramp with shading issues was discussed. The request was taken under advisement.
In other business, PNH Realty Trust of 635 Mill Street (Hiller Dodge Facility) had an appointment to discuss a proposed minor change to an Order of Conditions to the footprint of the proposed future building, the parking lot expansion area, and an oil/water separator manhole in the proposed building.
The last appointment was with Paul E. Grover, 24 West Drive, for a Request for Determination of Applicability to replace two existing decks with one continuous wrap-around deck, and replace landscaping shrubs with planters, spaced every 12 feet in an 88-foot hedge-type area. The property is located in a velocity zone.
Discussions continued with the committee hearing issues regarding structural concerns with the dikes at Grassi Bog, Mill Street. After two heavy rainfalls, the commission agreed that the dike drainage needs to be addressed. The Marion Open Space Commission needs to come before the commission to discuss the issue of dike strength.
The committee noted that the Department of Agriculture supervised the Order of Conditions to operate the dike system, and that poor construction and possibly poor design of the dikes have led to a ‘safety issue’ that needs to be addressed. The Commission agreed to draft a letter to all parties involved in the Grassi Bog operation.
Lastly, the board discussed a complaint received by Mike Whiteside of the Department of Environmental Protection regarding someone filling a pond at Washburn Park. Board members who visited the site remarked that much damage had been done and needed to be resolved.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
