Conservation commission selects the more detailed, lower‑cost consultant for 75 Great Pond Road review

The Simsbury Conservation Commission and Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Agency voted Nov. 5 to select the consultant whose proposal materials are identified as Barton & Loguidice to conduct a third‑party peer review of application CC‑25‑2575 for 75 Great Pond Road and to forward that selection and the consultant fee estimate to the Board of Selectmen for adoption.

The decision came during a special meeting convened solely to choose between two proposals submitted in response to a scope of services distributed by town staff. Britney (town staff) reminded the commission that the Oct. 21 meeting deemed the McLean application significant and complex, and therefore eligible for a third‑party review. Staff confirmed two proposals were received: one from CHA and one from Barton & Loguidice (referred in meeting materials and discussion as “B and L”). Both firms returned identical scopes but different fee estimates and differing levels of detail in how they would complete the peer review.

Commission discussion focused on the detail in each firm’s approach, local experience and price. One commissioner said the Barton & Loguidice submittal included more specific steps for evaluating biological surveys and showed site work in Simsbury, while CHA’s examples appeared drawn from out‑of‑state projects. Commissioners also noted a difference in the spoken fee figures during the meeting; participants described one proposal as about $25,000 and the other as just under $16,000, an approximately $9,000 difference that influenced the commission’s preference.

Commissioner (Speaker 6) moved to select the consultant described in meeting materials as Barton & Loguidice to conduct the third‑party peer review for CC‑25‑2575 and to forward the selection and fee estimate to the Board of Selectmen; another commissioner (Speaker 4) seconded the motion. The chair called the vote and the motion passed with all members indicating support and none opposed.

Town staff clarified the firms had been added to the town’s on‑call list after vetting by town engineers over the summer and that third‑party review fees are borne by the applicant. The commission indicated the item will appear again as needed at a future meeting (dates discussed included Nov. 18 or Dec. 16) when the Board of Selectmen will consider adopting the resolution to accept the consultant and fee estimate.

The meeting adjourned after the vote. A recorded community media public service announcement followed the meeting recording but was not part of commission business.