Conservation commission asks applicants to favor planted buffers as it advances two erosion permits

The Simsbury Conservation Commission on Tuesday reviewed two wetland-permit applications to stabilize eroding brook banks at 25 Park Road and 14 Minister Brook and asked both applicants to submit stronger planting plans emphasizing native shrubs and live-stake plantings rather than relying on grass or loose riprap alone.

Staff introduced application CC‑26‑07 for 25 Park Road, noting the eroded section lies partly in the town right-of-way but the damaged bank is on private property. The application lists Roy Oio Groso as applicant and owner. Oio Groso told the commission he and his family moved into the house in January 2020 and the bank has been steadily eroding for more than six years; he said heavy rain last summer sent water over the driveway and he fears the embankment “at some point ... is just going to collapse.”

Staff and commissioners recommended a vegetated buffer with shrubs and trees (examples cited included willows, fragrant sumac and native viburnums) combined with coir/core mats and planting pockets placed on any structural material. A staff presenter advised against mowing to the stream edge and said iris or turf alone are insufficient, arguing “you need something shrublike ... to go down at least 10 feet either side.” The commission offered to send best-management practice handouts and planting recommendations.

For 14 Minister Brook (CC‑26‑10), staff described a tree uproot that left a large hole or sink near the homeowner’s yard; the application lists Jack Rich Kusa as applicant and owner. The owner said the hole has expanded and is within roughly 10 feet of the house and deck, creating a safety concern for children. Staff suggested filling the hole with interlocking angular rock (riprock) while incorporating planting pockets on top and adding native shrubs on the bank and upland edge.

In both cases commissioners moved to find the applications non‑significant as submitted on the basis that the proposed work would be plants‑rather‑than equipment‑based and would not constitute an in‑stream alteration as proposed. The commission approved both motions and requested the applicants submit updated, more robust planting plans for formal determination at the commission’s next regular meeting on June 16.

The commission stressed two recurring themes: avoid mowing right to the stream edge (a minimum 10‑foot undisturbed buffer was recommended where space allows) and prefer living materials or planting pockets combined with localized structural measures over large-scale hard armoring that can be undermined by stream dynamics. Staff said guidance and BMP resources would be provided to the applicants ahead of the next meeting.

The commission did not adopt new rules at the meeting; it acted on the two permit determinations and scheduled the follow-up reviews for June 16.