By Journal Staff
The Revere Conservation Commission (ConsComm) held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday evening, December 3, in the City Council Chambers. Chair Nicholas Rudolph, Joseph LaValle, Bernardo Sepulveda, and Wilson Correa were on hand for the session.
The members first took up a request for a Determination of Applicability (DoA) from the City of Revere for the Installation of a flood monitoring alert system at two locations on Mills Ave. and in Beachmont.
Kristen Homeyer, the Resilience Manager for the City of Revere, and Justine Rooney, a Coastal Scientist / Resiliency Planner with the Woods Hole Group, told the members that the city has received two Coastal Resilience Grants from the Mass. Coastal Zone Management and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council for strategies and solutions to address the flooding that occurs in the Beachmont neighborhood of Pearl Ave., Crystal Ave., and Summer St. (which abuts Belle Isle Marsh) and the Oak Island, Riverside, and Point of Pines neighborhoods (which about Rumney Marsh).
“When we had a meeting with the residents in Beachmont, they were asking how they can be alerted about flooding events in order to be able to move their cars before either a ‘sunny day’ flooding event or an extreme precipitation flooding event happens,” said Homeyer, who noted that the same problems also are faced by residents in the Rumney Marsh area.
Homeyer noted that the city has devised a project that involves the installation of an early warning system for the residents of those areas so they can be prepared for the flooding and move their cars appropriately.
Rooney spoke briefly about the problem of “sunny day” flooding that occurs during lunar cycles even without accompanying storms. “This is an approach of, ‘How can we live with the water and the approaching tides?’ “ said Rooney, who went on to describe the sensors that will be deployed.
She noted that the sensors, which will use radar and are only 36 centimeters in height, will not involve any significant impact to wetland resources and will be mounted on existing stationary objects, such as bridges and utility poles. Residents can sign up for text alerts so that they can be alerted to move their vehicles.
Rooney noted that the city will absorb the cost to maintain the system going forward. She also stated that the Mills Ave. area has flooded on 400 occasions over the past 10 years. Homeyer added that other communities throughout the state are using these sensor systems.
“These will have a minimal impact on these areas,” said Rudolph.
“This will be a great tool for the city and the residents,” added Sepulveda.
The members voted unanimously for a negative DoA, which means that the project will not require oversight by the ConsComm.
The next item was a request for a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) from Karen Johnson of Edge Environmental pertaining to an Emergency Permit for clean-up work at 26 Furlong Drive resulting from a fuel spill that occurred when the fuel tank of a truck was punctured.
Rudolph said he had inspected the area on three occasions and noted “that the clean-up was very well done and the testing came back clean.”
The board voted unanimously to issue a CoC for the work that was done.
The third agenda item was another request for a CoC from Ismal Colon of 9 Dunn Road for a new addition at the property. The matter pertained to a Notice of Intent (NOI) dating back to 2007 for work for which a CoC had not been issued.
The ConsComm had required that plywood that had been installed along the foundation be removed and Rudolph reported that the homeowner had done so. He further noted that the house was elevated above the ground level and that the requirements of the building permit from the Revere Building Dept. had been met.
The members voted unanimously to issue the CoC.
The final matter was a request for an Order of Conditions from Nelly Orrego pursuant to her NOI for a french drain that she is seeking to install around her property at 76 Endicott Ave.
The hearing had been continued from the previous month when the ConsComm had directed Ms. Orrego’s contractor to remove improper fill (which the members had seen on a site inspection) to be replaced with clean fill before the new drainage system can be installed.
The members then voted to approve the NOI and to issue an Order of Conditions — but not before amended plans are filed — and with special conditions pertaining to the removal of the improper fill and installation of clean fill that will be subject to a site inspection by the members.
