The Revere Conservation Commission (ConsComm) held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday evening (October 4) in the City Council Chambers. Chair John Shue and fellow commissioners Joseph LaValle, Robert Cassidy, Samantha Woodson, and Brian Averbach were on hand for the meeting.
The first matter taken up was the Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation for the city’s plans to renovate Gibson Park and the adjacent streets of Mills and Thayer Aves. Claire Hoogeboom from LEC Environmental Consultants made the presentation to the commission of the delineation of the wetlands boundaries, which is the first step in the process before any plans for work can be developed.
Hoogeboom and Shue had walked the area (including through the mudflats at low tide) a few days prior to the meeting. Shue explained to his fellow commissioners the details of the property in terms of the wetlands boundaries, which presently are marked with flags. After a lengthy discussion and some questions from the members, the commission unanimously approved the boundaries of the wetlands as marked. The city now can move forward with the project, which promises to be a lengthy process.
The commission next took up a request for a Notice of Intent (NOI) from the McClellan Highway Development Company, LLC, for construction of a berm on Washburn Ave., as part of the overall development plan for the Suffolk Downs site, in order to prevent flooding in that area. Doug Manz of the HYM Investment Group, the owner of the 161-acre redevelopment site (of which 52 acres are in Revere), presented the application to the commission. Manz noted that there is a “flooding pathway that comes through Washburn Ave.” and the purpose of the berm will be to provide flooding protection from a 100-year flooding event.
The commission next heard from Mark Costa, a Water Resources and Civil Engineer at Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. of Woburn, who said that although there is a tidal gate at Bennington St. that currently provides protection during a typical storm surge through Belle Isle Inlet, Bennington St. would be overwhelmed by the tidal surge of a 100-year storm event, with the surging waters moving west over the MBTA tracks and then onto Washburn Ave. The proposed berm will keep the water in the wetlands area to the east so it will not go up Washburn Ave. In addition, other low-lying neighborhoods, including Shirley Ave., will receive protection from the berm in the event of a 100-year storm. “It’s a fairly simple solution that will provide extensive benefits,” said Costa.
Stacey Minahane from the firm of Beals + Thomas delineated the boundaries of the project for the commissioners, some of whom had walked the site two weeks previously. The berm, consisting of modular blocks, will be 180 feet long and 10 feet wide with a height of 3-4 feet. Construction of the berm will start in the fall with an expected completion date in the spring.
As an aside, it was noted by the speakers that the Beachmont School and Fredericks Park separately will need similar protection from the combination of sea level rise and expected future flooding events.
After the commissioners asked a number of questions, they unanimously approved granting the NOI. “I think this is a good project and it definitely will help that Shirley Ave. neighborhood and prevent flowing onto Winthrop Ave.,” commented Woodson.
The commission heard a request for an NOI from Ayaz Akhtar, 1166 Washington St., LLC, for the addition of concrete stairs and a concrete bulkhead to an existing basement door at 63 Eliot Road. The project already has been completed (without a building permit), so the request came after-the-fact to the commission. Although the commissioners indicated that they would be inclined to take favorable action for the project, they were unable to vote to approve it because the State DEP has yet to issue a file number, which is a prerequisite in order for a local conservation commission to act upon a project.The matter was continued until the November meeting, by which time the DEP presumably will issue a file number and the commissioners will be able to take a formal vote.
Joe’s Kwik Marts, LLC requested a Determination of Applicability for the replacement of an existing septic tank at its property at 41 Lee Burbank Highway. A representative of the firm doing the work told the commissioners (some of whom had walked the project) that the existing septic tank (which is a “tight tank”) will be removed with no change to the site, though care will be taken to ensure that any materials excavated will not be discharged into the area. The commission unanimously voted to approve a negative Determination of Applicability, which means that the commission will not need to exercise jurisdiction over the project.
Lastly, the commission took up a request for an NOI from Nefta Realty Trust LLC, for the demolition of an existing building and used car lot at 6 Agawam Street and 1198 North Shore Road and the construction of a 144-unit, multi-family, 10-story building.
Rick Salvo from Engineering Alliance in Saugus presented the application. He said there will be 36 parking spaces underneath the building at-grade, with the expectation that the most of the tenants will not own autos and will be walking to the nearby T station. All utilities will be on the first floor, which will be 18 feet about the ground. The property is adjacent to the MBTA parking lot at Wonderland Station and the project has received zoning relief from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Salvo said that stormwater from the property presently drains into the nearby marshland. However, Salvo said the project will incorporate a system that will filter and reduce the storm water flow. He also said there will be a net increase in vegetation on the site compared to what exists presently. However, similar to a previous request in the evening for an NOI for which the state DEP had not issued a file number, the commission will have to wait to take a vote on issuing the NOI until its November meeting.
In other matters, the commission issued two enforcement letters for 40 and 100 Arcadia St. that will be addressed at its next meeting.
The commissioners approved funds for the fees for commissioners to attend Wetlands Protection Act (WPA) training and for use of the Electronic Handbook. Shue also noted that he wants to mail a flyer to residents who live in areas that come within the jurisdiction of the WPA in order to let them know that any project they wish to undertake, especially paving, will require obtaining permission from the ConsComm. The commissioners approved funding for the production and bulk mailing of the flyers.
The ConsComm received two correspondences during the month: A routine Mowing Notification from Tennessee Gas Pipeline and an Emergency Repair Notification from the MWRA for repair to pipeline near the end of Loomis St.
The commissioners’ site visits for the month included: 40 Arcadia St., 100 Arcadia St., the Suffolk Downs–Washburn Ave. berm, Gibson Park, 41 Lee Burbank Highway, 63 Eliot Road, and 63 Mills Avenue.
