Minutes

Open Space Committee   April 4, 2017      Wellfleet Town Hall

Present:  Bruce Hurter, Tom Slack, John Cumbler, Lynn Southey, Liz MacDonald.

Guests:   Denny O’Connell, WCT; John Portnoy, Friends of Herring River; John Riehl. NRAB.

Agenda approved

Minutes of Jan 10, 2017 meeting: Approved with corrections.

Reports

Chairman, Bruce Hurter:  The MA Executive Office and Environmental Affairs (EFA) has sent notice to the Town that we are eligible for funding (up to 80%) for open space and recreational projects. Deadline for application is April 28, 2017 through LAND, PARC, or Landscape Partnership grant programs.  Details are in the 3/20 /17 letter on file from Scott Kaiser (Consultant Planning Advisors-technical advisors who assist in submitting these grant applications) to Trudy Vermere, (?sp) Town of Wellfleet.

Vice Chair: Tom Slack:  The scheduled OSC meeting on 3/21/17 was cancelled due to lack of quorum.   I attended Cons Com meeting in March at their request to provide OSC input on the Pleasant Point property transfer (Article 37 ATM Warrant). We have voted not to oppose the land sale, but access to the eastern portion of lot #280 needs to be assured.    Cons Com voted in favor of the article 3-1.

Standing Assignments

Property Management: all properties have been inspected. Some clean up projects have been identified which AmeriCorps will assist with.

Trail Guides: Lynn will get a group together to assemble newly printed guides.

Liaison Reports

WCT:  Denny O’Connell:   House on Cliff Rd was moved and the property graded.  Doak property- no sale is possible without a State grant. WCT is next in line if there are any withdrawals. CR on Hamlin Farm- CR inspections are being done. Trails and Tales will not continue due to poor attendance. Adopt a highway cleanups are to resume 7am 4/19. Annual WCT walk is scheduled for 9/9/17 in the Wellfleet ponds and woods.

Friends of Herring River: John Portnoy presented an update of the project with a review of the science of the marsh as it currently exists and expected beneficial effects as restoration proceeds.  Details of planned gates and dikes were reviewed. There have been numerous community forums and meetings with abutters on the project. The EIS was completed last year and engineering is getting started.

Housing Partnership:  John Cumbler supported a Warrant Article from HP proposing a tax on deed transfers over $500,000-proceeds to go to housing.

NRAB:  John Riehl, chair.  Work continues on coastal and pond access document.  Grant requested for hydrologist to study Mayo Creek as part of planning for restoration.  Supports Articles 37,38,39 and 40 in Warrant for ATM. (See discussion below).

Old Business

Town Meeting Articles recommendations:

Article 37: Sale of a portion of Town owned property to a group of Pleasant Point residents for rebuilding a deteriorating retaining wall. OSC had previously voted not to oppose this sale but the wording of Article 37 has raised concern.   OSC and NRAB wish to be certain that access to Town property further to the East not be impeded. Bruce Hurter and John Riehl will discuss this at the next BOS meeting suggesting that the access issue be clearly spelled out in any sales agreement or in an amendment.

With this in mind OSC deferred a voting recommendation until after the BOS meeting and before Town Meeting.

Article 38:  Provides easement through Town property for septic system at 15 Kendrick Ave.    OSC voted in favor 5-0.

Article 39:  Transfer care and custody of Town property Map 8-lot 270 to Cons Com. This Article was proposed by OSC- details in previous minutes. We reconfirmed our approval  5-0                                                                  

Article 40:  Transfer Town property Map 41-lot 189 to Cons Com. Also proposed by OSC.  Approval reconfirmed   5-0

Comprehensive Plan. A few details are to be completed. No change from previous minutes.

Properties for consideration

Some possible interest by MA  Audubon in Town  property ( Map 46 lot 19) which abuts Audubon - No definite plans or formal discussion as yet.

Next Meeting   May 23, 4PM, 2017   Wellfleet Town Hall

Respectfully submitted,

Tom Slack, Secretary OSC

4/24/17 6:30 PM

Meeting in the Elementary School to vote on Article 37. Posting though Town Clerk was done.

Present: Hurter, Southey, Golden, Jackson, MacDonald

Hurter reviewed that he and John Riehl had met with BOS who agreed that clear right to permanent access would be part of the Purchase and Sale. There was a short discussion. Committee agreed to support 5-0.