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Commission updated on CADEX filing, aggregation easement and vegetation-management plan near airport
Summary
Staff reported they filed a CADEX with the FAA and received comments; commissioners discussed an aggregation easement for vegetation height limits, coordination with Massachusetts Natural Heritage (or historical review), and how a vegetation-management plan may streamline permitting for safety-related vegetation work.
Staff told the commission the CADEX submission to the Federal Aviation Administration was filed and the FAA returned comments on 3/26; the consultant and airport manager are reviewing whether additional coordination with state historic-resource reviewers (Massachusetts Natural Heritage or the state historical commission) is required before finalizing the document.
Commissioners discussed an 'aggregation easement' that would establish a clearance/height zone for vegetation adjacent to runway and taxiway areas. Staff said nine private parcels may be affected and that consultants are updating scopes of work and a draft plan for the commission’s review. One member said that an approved vegetation-management plan (VMP) would reduce repeated notifications to multiple conservation commissions and simplify approvals for safety-related trimming.
Members raised potential archeological sensitivity in several small pockets on airport property and emphasized the need to keep the VMP and any fence or easement alignment away from wetlands buffers and documented archaeological sites. The commission asked staff and the consultant to produce a draft VMP and a list of affected parcels and to circulate that material in advance of the next meeting.
Why it matters: The VMP and easement decisions affect long-term vegetation management, wetland buffers and potential property-owner negotiations. The commission requested a draft scope and parcel list so it can review how contours, archaeology concerns and compensation estimates will be handled before authorizing work.
