The Revere Conservation Commission (ConsComm) held its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday evening, June 4, in the City Council Chamber. Chair John Shue presided over the session that was attended by vice-chair Nicholas Rudolph and fellow members Joseph Lavalle, Brian Averback, and Bernardo Sepulveda.
The first matter on the agenda was a continuation of the hearing regarding the city’s Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) to confirm wetland resource boundaries involving bordering land subject to flooding and isolated wetlands at the former Wonderland Dog Track site, which is where the city plans to build a new Revere High School.
According to the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) website, the purposes of an ANRAD are two-fold: First, the ANRAD provides a procedure for an applicant to confirm the delineation of a Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW). If an ANRAD is filed for a BVW delineation, confirmation of other resource areas may also be requested provided the other resource area boundaries are identified on the plans which accompany the BVW boundary delineation. The second purpose of the ANRAD is to serve as the application for a Simplified Review for projects in the Buffer Zone.
The Wonderland site is a complicated one. There are six separate parcels on the site per the city assessors’ maps and all of the legacy wetlands areas within those parcels essentially were destroyed by the track when it was built in the 1930s (long before there was even a thought of a Wetlands Protection Act). In addition, the site has become overgrown and allowed to deteriorate since the track closed about 15 years ago. Further, the so-called County Ditch drainage creek is adjacent to the site. The ditch is part of an ecosystem that flows into Diamond Creek, which in turn drains into Rumney Marsh.
The ConsComm hired its own wetlands expert, Fleetwood Environmental Solutions LLC, for what is known as a peer review study in order to provide an independent evaluation of the many environmental issues that were identified by the city’s own outside experts, LEC Environmental Consultants LLC.
“This is not about the high school,” noted Shue at the outset of the hearing. “This is solely about the wetlands and the wetlands delineation and whether the isolated wetlands deserve protection per the city’s ordinances.”
Claire Hoogeboom, a Wetlands Scientist with LEC (the firm hired by the city), made a presentation to the commissioners. Hoogeboom noted that she had walked the site with representatives from Fleetwood and that she had incorporated some changes that the firm had proposed.
David Cameron, a Wetlands Scientist from Fleetwood, then spoke to the commission. “The site is almost completely level and very disturbed,” said Cameron. “It appears to have been a tidal marsh until the late 1930s (when the track was built) based on old maps going back as far as 1892.” Cameron also said he viewed aerial photographs from 1938 to the present and commented that he was surprised to see no standing water in the photographs.
“Delineating the wetlands boundaries can be very challenging and LEC overall did a good job, though I made some minor revisions which LEC adopted,” Cameron said. “All the questions I had about their evaluation were answered.”
Cameron then explained that he had five recommendations, including that the ANRAD, as amended with his suggestions, be approved and that the commission issue an Order of Resource Area Delineation (ORAD).
Cameron pointed out that the land is within the 100-year flood plan for purposes of federal flood insurance and that this is one of the only areas in Revere that has open space that provides wildlife habitat — he noted that he observed a breeding pair of mallards in a puddle on the asphalt — and, if possible, floated the idea that steps could be taken during construction of the high school to provide ecological enhancement.
In response to a question from LaValle, Cameron said there was no evidence of vernal pools on the site.
Mayor Patrick Keefe briefly addressed the commission, noting that the city “has every intention of preserving the wetlands and making sure that it is an ecological-learning environment.”
The commissioners then had to consider a series of motions before approving the ORAD. The first motion was to approve the areas of the delineation of the isolated wetlands on the site, which they approved unanimously.
The commissioners next approved the determination that one of the four areas on the site (Area B) is an isolated wetland not subject to the Wetlands Protection Act, but that does fall within the city environmental ordinance (Title 16) for protection, and that three other areas (C, D & F) on the site do not fall within Title 16. The commission then voted to approve the delineation of the other two parcels on the site (A & E) that do fall within the Mass. Wetlands Protection Act.
Next up was a vote to approve the delineation of the Eastern County Ditch and the riverfront area.
The next motion was the approval of the extent of the site elevations (4.55 feet) for bordering land subject to flooding.
The next motion approved was to delay a determination of the extent of mitigation for the filling-in of Area B until construction of the school is closer. The final motion approved by the commission was a determination that Area B (the old race track) is not isolated land subject to flooding.
The next item on the agenda was a continuation of a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to confirm Wetland Delineation along the MBTA’s right-of-way in Revere as part of the T’s new Vegetated Management Plan (VMP).
After hearing briefly from T representatives, the commission unanimously approved the boundaries of the VMP as delineated by the T.
The next matter was a request for a Notice of Intent (NOI) by Stephen Lakis, 102 Summer Street, for the removal of an inground pool, and garage and the replacement of a retention wall. The ConsComm is requiring approval of the project from the neighbors, who must grant access to Lakis onto their property in order for him to do the proposed work. In addition, the city’s Building Dept. has required Lakis to submit an engineered plan to replace the existing retaining wall.
A trustee from the neighboring condo association told the commissioners that the association has a number of questions about the project and is not ready to give its approval for the project. With that, the ConsComm further continued the hearing to its next meeting on July 10.
The commission next quickly approved a Request for a Certificate of Compliance from Mass. Electric for a 23kV cable replacement from Revere to Winthrop.
The next item on the agenda was a Request for Determination of Applicability from the city for demolition work at McMackin Field, the former fabled Little League field that had served the city’s youth for generations starting in the 1950s, but which has fallen into a state of disrepair and neglect over the past decade. The ConsComm unanimously rejected the determination of applicability, which means that it no longer will retain purview over the project.
The commission heard another Request for a Determination of Applicability from Boston Gas to install a new natural gas pipeline along Lee Burbank Highway. The pipeline will replace the current pipeline that serves the properties located at 101 and 51 Lee Burbank. The commission unanimously approved a negative determination.
The final matter was a request for a Certificate of Compliance from the city for its installation of a new drainage pipe from Avon Street through two rear and side yards to connect to the storm drain system on Bay Road. The ConsComm unanimously approved issuing the certificates of compliance for the three properties affected by the work.
The next meeting of the commission is set for July 10.
