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Wetlands commission approves pervious patio at 216 Route 87 with lake protections
Summary
The Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission approved a summary ruling for Jim and Sean Santos to install a pervious patio at 216 Route 87, imposing erosion controls, a required town-approved nutrient allocation plan, and special protections for Columbia Lake.
The Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission on Tuesday approved a summary ruling allowing Jim and Sean Santos to install a pervious patio at 216 Route 87, subject to conditions meant to protect nearby Columbia Lake.
Staff member Savannah described the proposal as an irregular roughly 20-by-22-foot pervious patio requiring removal of about 6 inches of soil, a subsurface sand layer and a crushed-stone overlay designed to limit runoff. She told the commission the work likely requires removal of two red maples; the trees are to be cut with stumps left in place unless the applicants request and receive separate authorization to remove the stumps.
Savannah read the draft ruling and said special protections apply because "Columbia Lake is designated under Section 1.6 of Columbia's wetland regulations as an area of special concern." The ruling requires a town-approved nutrient allocation plan and identifies mitigation options such as a rain garden or mulch bed within 200 feet of Columbia Lake. Erosion and sediment controls must be installed and routinely inspected, including checks before predicted storms and after rain events of 3/4 inch or more.
The commission also assigned the applicants responsibility for implementing and maintaining the erosion-and-sediment-control plan, ensuring all contractors are informed of the requirements, and notifying the commission if responsibility for the property is transferred.
A commission member moved to accept the summary ruling and another seconded; the motion carried with the meeting record noting "all in favor." The minutes reflect a requested correction to the earlier sitewalk minutes related to a nutrient-allocation phosphorus factor (a member recalled 1.3 whereas a draft minute recorded 3.0) and the commission asked staff to correct that entry.
Next steps: the applicants were expected to meet with staff and to provide a town-approved nutrient allocation plan before work proceeds; staff will monitor compliance with the erosion-control conditions.
