The Town of Barnstable Growth Management Department 200 and 367 Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601 Barnstable 2007 Office: 508-862-4785 Jo Anne Miller Buntich - Director Fax: 508-862-4784 Carol Puckett Administrative Assistant LAND ACQUISITION & PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Minutes Monday, August1, 2011 Kris Clark - Chair Phyllis Miller Vice Chair Laura Cronin Steve Farrar Duncan Gibson Thomas Mullen Steve O Neil James Hinkle, Jr. Tom Lee ConComm Liaison John Norman Town Council Liaison Also present were JoAnne Buntich Director of Growth Management, Ann Canedy Town Councilor and Carol Puckett Administrative Assistant. Quorum being met, Kris Clark opens the meeting. Approval of Minutes o Minutes from LAPC meeting of June 6, 2011 Motion is made by Duncan Gibson and seconded by James Hinkle to approve minutes in addition to the notes of the July 11 th meeting. All in favor. Staff Report: Jo Anne Miller Buntich o Update on our request for improved Pathways map Tom Mullen indicates that he has sent maps to Jim Benoit. Joanne indicates that they are working on a consistent link to the pathway maps, trail ways and conservation. Tom thinks it would be good to have a feature on the home page. 1
o Council Liaison Report: John Norman Ann Canedy indicates that John Norman is up to speed with this committee, reads the minutes and watches the meetings o Update on our request for edits to the LAPC's webpage Joanne to look at past minutes for additional updates. o Update on email request (6-14-2011) to Town Manager. etc per LAPC vote Phyllis Miller explains the letter as it was written about a meeting that members of this board requested. JoAnne Buntich indicates that it is up to the Town Manager s office to respond. Jaci Barton arrives at 5:40 PM. Duncan Gibson reads the letter dated June 14, 2011 addressed to the Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, CPC Chairman, president of the Town Council and the Town Attorney regarding Railway Bluffs. Tom Lee arrives at 6:00 PM. JoAnne reports that the Coleman acquisition is off the table. Ann Canedy indicates that it is indefinitely postponed. Kris indicates that she did receive a reply from Lindsey Counsell and will pursue the letter. New Business o Sutherland Conservation Restriction proposal: Jaci Barton Kris introduces Jaci Barton. Jaci indicates that this committee took a vote on this proposal in 2009 regarding the Sutherland conservation restriction, the project has changed and is here to bring LAPC up-to-date on it as their goal is to get it done by the end of the year. The total acreage for the Sutherland property is 30.07 acres, according to the Assessor s record, and the conservation restriction would be 27.34 acres and all upland. There would be an unrestricted area of 2.72 acres that would surround the existing house and a small parcel of land containing 1.1 acres that would not be restricted as someone else is utilizing that land. This parcel has been on the Town s priority list since the 80 s. The land is on Shubel Pond, fronts on Shubel Pond Road and on a designated scenic road which is Osterville/West Barnstable Road. The property owner has agreed to an easement down near the water on his land where people park outside of the Town layout. He would provide an easement separate from the conservation restriction that would grant the Town a permanent right for the parking of two cars and if the Town resolves their issue with storm runoff it allows for it to be moved. Ann Canedy asks about the water runoff and if there is a culvert present. Jaci understands that all the drainage from the area goes into a culvert which is two feet in diameter and that there is a lot of erosion which necessitates the need for repair. James Hinkle asks why there are two easements. Jaci indicates that the Town has to address the drainage issue and if they do it close to the pond where the parking easement would be now, it might need to change. In consultation with Lindsey Counsell, Rob Gatewood and the Town Manager, they decided to assign an alternative easement area should that ever happen. Jaci indicates that David Houghton from the Town Attorney s office is charged with reviewing this for the Town and that they want to pull the easement out of the conservation restriction and make it separate. They will be granted but will be separate documents. Joanne recommends that LAPC take a vote as it has been reviewed previously by this committee. Phyllis Miller recommends approving the parcel first and then taking a vote on the conservation restriction. A motion is made by Phyllis Miller and seconded to recommend this parcel for acquisition as presented. 2
All in favor A motion is made by Phyllis Miller and seconded by James Hinkle to accept the conservation restriction on Shubel Pond property as presented by the Barnstable Land Trust and that it be recommended to Town Council. All in favor Updates o Pathways: Tom Mullen Tom Mullen indicates that the new signage is being put up on a regular basis. Also, because of all the rain, there has been new growth along the pathways and is seeking volunteers to adopt a portion of the trail to maintain. Kris indicates that they are working on the liability issue with the Town Attorney s office. Kris talks about the fall walk which is sponsored by the Cape Cod Commission which will be from October 7 th to 10 th. They are in early stages of planning and the walk will be similar to the spring walk. She indicates that Farley suggested going from the college to the court house. Kris suggests putting it in the bulletin once they have more information. o Santuit Preserve: Steve Farrar Steve Farrar is not here to report on the Santuit Preserve. Kris indicates that she has an update from Catherine Laurent from Mashpee DPW which she reads (see record for email). Phyllis asks if there is a formal management plan. Tom Lee recommends asking Lindsey Counsell. Jaci Barton recommends talking to Mark Robinson from the Compact and to put out an RFP to find someone who can write a management plan and split the cost three ways. Kris will check with Lindsey Counsell. o Report from July 25th meeting: Tom Mullen, Tom Lee CPC update. Tom Mullen indicates that it wasn t an active meeting and no major decisions were made. He indicates that Laura Cronin was also there and had asked about the lack of communication between CPC and LAPC. Tom Mullen thinks the committee should be proactive instead of reactive regarding the purchase of property. They discuss proposals coming before CPC which might be of interest to LAPC. Jaci Barton indicates that the state offers the towns three opportunities to get $500,000 each per year: one for parc land, one for conservation land and another for aquifer protection and believes that this committee could encourage districts so that the Town always has opportunities to apply for grants. JoAnne Buntich thinks it is good for this committee to send out a list annually or semi-annually to those that have money for acquisitions or work on acquisition projects in accordance with their priority list. JoAnne will check CPC s distribution list to make sure Ann Canedy is on it. Old Business o LAPC vacant position update: Kris Clark Kris says they are still down one member and if anyone is interested, they can apply on the Town s website o Act To Sustain Community Preservation HB765/SB1841 update: Kris Clark Kris received an update from Ben Nugent and reads from an email which indicates that if the bill makes it out of the House Ways and Means Committee, he will let her know. o Open Space and Recreation Plan's implementation strategy: Kris Clark Tom Mullen clarifies with JoAnne Buntich that the action plan is for both the open space and recreation. She shows the five year tracking that was done by the consultant. Kris points out Page 107, Goal 5.2 and 5.2A regarding annual meetings and believes that it should be done by fire districts annually with a different fire district every year and coming out with priority parcels. Ann recommends beginning with the most underserved districts first and working backwards. Jaci Barton recommends meeting with the Water Quality Advisory Board as drinking water would be a priority. Duncan 3
recommends having a session with the Water Quality Board and then an annual meeting with all of the representative groups including the land trust and Audubon groups, etc., and explain who LAPC is and how they want to go forward and then create a basis from that on how to approach the fire districts. They discuss. A motion is made by Duncan Gibson that, in order for LAPC to begin item 5.1, that they will be holding two sessions this fall under Item 5.2: one with the Water Quality Advisory Board and the second one with the compendium of fire districts, civic associations, land trusts, etc., to begin the discussion on what needs to be prioritized and implemented to further the plan. Seconded by Tom Mullen. Kris can contact the chair of the Water Quality Advisory Board and see if they will be willing to come the next LAPC meeting. JoAnne has a contact with that group and will contact them about attending a LAPC meeting. She will get convenient dates and times and will invite them to a regularly scheduled LAPC meeting. Ann Canedy suggests that people around the table email Kris on who to invite. All in favor. Jim Hinkle leaves at 6:46 PM. Duncan indicates that he has a copy of the agenda for Town Council this week and that LAPC is not mentioned for appointments or reappointments. New Business o Letterhead JoAnne indicates that work is being done on the letterhead and will have a model shortly for all boards and committees. o 2012 schedule Kris indicates that Laura Cronin has requested considering a change back to the original Monday meeting schedule. Staff to check out the availability of the Selectman s Conference Room for the second Monday of every month at 5:30 PM o August 22 nd CPC Meeting Duncan Gibson will be attending for LAPC. o Response to videotaping session to feature LAP JoAnne indicates that the videotaping session about LAPC will be helpful for getting the word out for this committee s vacancy. o Other Tom Mullen has letter from Marjorie Watson regarding the August 3 rd meeting regarding the liability issue for volunteers. JoAnne asks when this committee had their last reorganization election. Phyllis indicates that it was done in the fall. JoAnne recommends it being done again this fall. o Public Comment No one comes forward. o Adjournment A motion is made by Phyllis Miller and seconded by Duncan Gibson to adjourn. 4
All in favor Meeting adjourned at 6:55 PM. 5