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Stratford wetlands panel accepts application to clear trees at 195 Candlewood Road
Summary
The Stratford Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission accepted as complete an application from David Decilio to remove trees from a 3-acre, upland-review-area parcel at 195 Candlewood Road; the acceptance does not authorize cutting, and the commission will review a full site plan later.
The Stratford Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission on April (date not specified) voted to accept as complete an application from David Decilio to remove trees from a 3-acre parcel at 195 Candlewood Road, within the 250-foot upland review area of nearby wetlands.
The application is limited to clearing trees outside mapped wetlands; Decilio told the commission he added roughly 2 acres to an original 0.84-acre parcel to create a roughly 3-acre lot and said his long-term plan is to site a single-family house if soils and test pits permit. “I would never ever, encroach a wetland,” Decilio said while presenting photos and a map showing the area he proposes to clear.
Commission staff member Kelly Kerrigan said she walked the property with the applicant and that the scale of clearing is larger than she would authorize administratively, which is why she forwarded the application to the commission for review. The commission’s acceptance tonight was for administrative completeness, not permitting of cutting or future construction; commissioners noted a later full application will require detailed site plans, soil test pits, topographic contours, a planting plan, and erosion control measures.
Members asked several clarifying questions at the meeting. Commissioners and staff noted the applicant’s filings list 0.465 acres of wetlands on the combined parcel; Decilio said that number reflected the portion he added and acknowledged the wetlands acreage should be reconciled in an updated wetlands report or letter from the project wetland scientist. Decilio also said he would propose temporary silt fencing—about 100 feet—as a precaution between initial clearing and subsequent site work.
The commission formally moved to accept the application as complete. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote: members present answered “Aye.” The acceptance starts the formal review clock, but it does not authorize tree removal; the applicant must return with the full application, including required soils, topography and wetland functional evaluation, before the commission will consider any permit to clear or build.
Commissioners raised several issues the full application should address: a functional evaluation of the wetland and any vernal pools or rare species, detailed contour lines on the plan, soil test pits for septic feasibility, and a planting/vegetation plan to ensure replacement or retention of high-value trees if the site is later converted to lawn. Commissioners discussed conditioning final approval to require replanting or a conservation planting plan if clearing proceeds but no house is built.
The commission’s action tonight: acceptance of the application as complete. Future steps include updated wetlands documentation, a full site plan submission, and a return to the commission for project-level approvals.
