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Essex wetlands commission finds cease‑and‑desist satisfied and concurs with three agent approvals
Summary
At its June 9 meeting the Town of Essex Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission unanimously found the cease‑and‑desist at 158 Main Street satisfied and waived fines, and concurred with agent approvals for vegetation removal at 8 South Winds Drive, paving at 12 Rachel Lane, and an in‑kind spillway repair at 8 Bracket Lane.
Vice Chairman David Kirsch called the Town of Essex Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. on June 9. The commission unanimously found the terms of a cease‑and‑desist for 158 Main Street in Ivoryton satisfied and waived the associated fines after staff said the property owner had removed two manufactured homes outside the 100‑foot upland review area.
Carey Duques, the town’s Land Use/Wetlands Official, told the commission she and Town Engineer R. Doane inspected the 158 Main Street property and confirmed the manufactured homes had been moved out of the upland review area; the motion to find the terms satisfied and waive all fines passed 5–0–0. Duques said owner Evan Blum had joined the prior meeting and agreed to relocate the units.
The commission also handled three agent‑level matters. For IWWC Application #26‑7 at 8 South Winds Drive, applicants Bruce and Jerri MacMillian plan to hand‑pull vegetation from Tiffany Creek (the transcript also refers to this watercourse as "Tiffany Brook") to avoid blocking flow and to improve the property’s appearance. The commission voted 5–0–0 to allow the Wetlands Agent to oversee and approve the work for a five‑year period.
On IWWC #26‑8 (12 Rachel Lane), Duques reported the owner, Julie Liseo, sought to pave an existing gravel driveway roughly 11 feet wide; no culvert changes were proposed and the Wetlands Agent had approved the activity. The commission concurred with the agent’s decision by a 5–0–0 vote.
For IWWC #26‑9 (8 Bracket Lane), Carey Duques said Valerie and George Washburn requested an in‑kind replacement of a spillway board with no change to crest elevation, storage, discharge capacity or hydraulic function; staff and the chair determined this qualified as an ‘‘as‑of‑right’’ maintenance activity. George Washburn described the structure’s history and engineering work and said the owners hope to complete the replacement in August during low flow. "The board serves a very important purpose," Washburn said. The commission concurred with the agent’s approval, voting 5–0–0.
The commission reviewed a ZBA referral for a pergola to be sited within 100 feet of the coastal jurisdiction line at 7 Riverview Street and recommended standard sedimentation and erosion control conditions. In reports, Duques said she will re‑inspect the 20 River Road site and report back at the next meeting. The session ended with a 7:30 p.m. adjournment.
