By Journal Staff
The Revere Conservation Commission (ConsCom) held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, April 2, in the City Council Chambers. Chair Nicholas Rudolph and fellow members Brian Averback, Joseph LaValle, Thomas Carleton, Wilson Correa, and Bernardo Sepulveda were on hand for the session.
The first matter to be taken up was a request for a Notice of Intent (NOI) from Leticia Arreaga for the installation of pavers in Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (LSCSF) at her home at 55 Sagamore Street, which is in the neighborhood bounded by Revere St., No. Shore Rd, and the railroad tracks.
Ms. Arreaga presented the application. She told the commissioners that the purpose of the project was to remove the grass from the backyard because her young daughter (who was interpreting for her mother) is allergic to grasses. She also noted that crushed stone had been installed to a depth of 12 inches to provide for proper drainage.
However, Ms. Arrreaga told the commissioners that she already had completed the work, unaware that the project required approval from the ConsComm. Rudolph, who noted that he and other commissioners had walked the site, acknowledged that this was an “after-the-fact” request for an NOI.
“However, I can’t see why this would not be acceptable under the Wetlands Protection Act,” Rudolph said.
“They were not aware of the law,” said Correa, who added that the city should do a better job informing new homeowners of the requirements of the environmental laws and regulations. Ward 5 City Councilor Angela Guarino-Sawaya said she’d heard no objections to the project from neighbors and that she was in favor of it.
The commissioners unanimously approved issuing the NOI.
Next up was a request for an NOI from the City of Revere for the Bennington Street/Fredericks Park Resilience Project at 15 Everard St. The city also was seeking approval for the delineation of the resource area.
The Resilient Bennington Street and Fredericks Park Project is part of an ongoing effort between the cities of Boston and Revere to address regional flood risk under both current and future conditions. Since early 2023, the cities have been partnering to advance the design of coastal resilience infrastructure that spans both municipalities along Bennington Street in East Boston, Fredericks Park in Revere, and the adjacent areas near the Belle Isle Marsh.
Elle Baker, the Open Space and Environmental Planner with the city’s Planning Dept., said that the NOI was being sought for the test borings. This matter had been continued from a previous meeting. The ConsComm received an email from its former chair, John Shue, stating that he had walked the site and that the drawings presented by the engineer matched what he had seen at the site.
Sepulveda said he also walked the site and stated that the resource area was well-marked and the flags accurately represented the declination of the resource areas after one correction had been made.
Taylor Donovan, an Environmental Scientist with the international consultant firm VHB, told the ConsComm that a few flags had been moved from the initial plan after the site walk to delineate the wetlands more accurately.
Cindy Baxter from the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh asked whether the plans could be made available to the public and Rudolph responded that they will be on the web site.
The members unanimously approved both issuing the NOI and approving the Delineation of the Wetlands Resource Area.
The next matter was another request for an NOI from ARM Construction LLC, 61 McKinley LLC, for the demolition of an existing structure and construction of a duplex on property located in an LSCSF area.
Paul Finocchio from PJF and Associates presented the application, showing the members the architectural plans. He noted that the property is at the end of McKinley St. (where it backs up to Atwood St.) and that the existing home already had been torn down.
Finocchio said the owner is proposing to construct a two-family dwelling in which the finished floor will be at an elevation of 14 feet, which will be two feet above flood elevation. There will be garages under the structure with flow-through vents.
The members noted that the majority of the homes in the area are duplexes.
“I have no problem with this project at all,” said Guarino-Sawaya. “I think it will be a great addition to the neighborhood. I think it will raise everyone’s property values.”
The members unanimously approved the application.
The final matter of the evening was a request from Kevin Chiles, Madison Real Estate Group, LLC, for an NOI for 30 Floyd Street (a small side street off Revere St. that is across the wetlands from the Amazon warehouse on American Legion Highway) for the demolition of an existing structure and construction of a single-family dwelling located in an LSCSF.
Finocchio also presented this application. He said the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals already has approved a variance for the construction of the home. He noted that the home is within the 100-year flood plain and will be constructed at elevation 11 with the first floor at elevation 13. He said there will be six foundation openings in the structure and will include the installation of a “smart fence.”
Mr. Chiles also appeared at the hearing and answered questions from LaValle concerning proposed parking spaces. Chiles noted that most of the new parking surface area will be more permeable than the concrete surface that exists now.
There were no opponents, but the commissioners were unable to issue the NOI because they have not performed a site walk. The matter was continued until the ConsComm’s next meeting in May.
