Board asks for breakdown of proposed Crane Street surety for earth‑removal; continuance set

Staff summarized a proposed surety (described in meeting as $25,000 total or $5,000 per lot) intended to cover stabilization work if a gravel removal operation were abandoned: turfing/hydroseeding, erosion control and site stabilization rather than returning sites to prior conditions. The staff said the amount was intended to be a practical remediating fund, not a full decommissioning calculation.

Le Casti (counsel/representative for the applicant) said the applicant has removed gravel on large projects before and asserted a strong track record of completing projects. He noted the measurement uncertainty—yardage figures and the timing of any hypothetical abandonment make precise worst‑case calculations difficult—and asked the town to apply practical judgment rather than a speculative ‘‘shot in the dark’’ estimate.

Board members pressed for more detail. Members and staff asked the applicant to provide a math‑based breakdown (yards of imported fill/top dress, cost to hydroseed per area, regrading and erosion control) so the board and Town Council could assess whether the proposed sum is a reasonable ‘‘ballpark’’ for stabilization. Paul (staff) said town counsel would prepare a formal agreement; the board requested a more detailed cost estimate before finalizing the surety amount.

Because additional detail and a Town Council draft agreement were not yet available, members voted to continue the Crane Street surety matter to Sept. 10 so staff and counsel could return with a narrower cost breakdown and formal surety language for review.

What’s next: Applicant and staff to supply a breakdown of anticipated yards moved, seeding/hydroseeding and stabilization costs; Town Council to prepare a draft surety agreement for the board to review at the Sept. 10 meeting.