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Commission approves homeowner's request to remove up to 13 trees and install foundation drainage at 12 Whispering Rod Road
Summary
The conservation commission voted unanimously to allow a Farmington homeowner to remove up to 13 trees, install buried drainage around the foundation with the discharge terminating before the tree line, and construct a porch foundation, with required erosion-control measures and staff coordination.
A Town of Farmington conservation panel on Oct. 1 approved a property owner's request to remove up to 13 trees, install buried curtain drains around the house foundation and construct a new porch, with erosion-control measures to be set by town staff.
David Theis, of 12 Whispering Rod Road, told the commission an arborist had identified several trees as structurally compromised and described one front-yard specimen with persistent mold that he might remove for safety despite liking its curb appeal. The applicant said the back-right corner tree had already shed a limb that pulled down a service connection and that two trees in the backyard have splits and dead bark and sit about 22 feet from structures. He said he plans to plant replacement vegetation in the backyard to aid groundwater absorption.
Bruce (town staff) confirmed he had received the arborist quote and the applicant's drainage plan. The applicant said the existing surface discharge is a flexible hose that empties into nearby wetlands; his proposal would replace that with a buried 2' to 3' pipe feeding a sump pump and a backflow preventer, terminating at or just before the forest edge. The applicant said that, if needed, trenching equipment would be used and that he could hand-dig parts of the run if the commission prefers to limit equipment near wetlands.
Commission questions focused on where the drainage should terminate and on erosion-control measures during tree and trenching work. Commissioner Mark Simpson asked whether the discharge should end at the defined wetlands or at the lawn edge; staff recommended terminating at the lawn to minimize disturbance. The chair asked staff for a recommendation on trenching methods; staff said a small excavator is workable given the combined scope of tree work and drainage but that hand-digging for portions could be an option.
The chair moved to approve the work "for up to 13 trees, including the front tree, the drainage work around the foundation, and discharge pipe through the backyard terminating before the tree line and the proposed porch work," with erosion-control measures to be implemented at staff direction. The motion was seconded and carried 5-0.
The commission recorded the tree count clarification provided by the applicant: 12 trees counted on his scope, 13 if he elects to remove the front specimen. The approval is conditioned on standard erosion-control and sediment measures and coordination with staff on the exact discharge termination point and construction methods.
The commission discussion also noted the existing flexible hose currently discharges to a nearby wetland and that the approved plan maintains the same ultimate discharge pathway while formalizing burial, backflow prevention and staff-supervised erosion control. The chair closed the item by asking staff to document the approved limits and ensure the erosion controls are inspected during the work.
