Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wetland Violation Remediation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Conservation advisory board says Town Tavern site had unauthorized disturbance; asks town board to require remediation
Summary
After reviewing satellite imagery and on-site inspections suggesting roughly an acre or more of unauthorized ground disturbance and possible wetland fill at the Town Tavern property, the board voted to request the Town Board enforce waterfront consistency, require stormwater reclamation plans and monitoring, and remedy identified erosion and sediment controls.
The Grand Island Conservation Advisory Board reviewed evidence showing substantial ground disturbance at the Town Tavern property and voted to ask the Town Board to require remediation and tighter enforcement. Members showed Google Earth imagery and site plans indicating about an acre to 1.5 acres of disturbance that predated formal site-plan submissions.
Presenters said the activity included regrading, placement of stone and pavement, relocated recreation features and areas that appear to be filled wetland — all performed without permits. One presenter said an inspection the board arranged found different and more concerning conditions than the town engineer’s inspection report. Board members raised specific regulatory concerns including the need for a SWIP (post-construction stormwater control plan), appropriate erosion- and sediment-control measures, and monitoring to make sure restoration measures succeed. They also reported finding mature poison hemlock and other pioneer species on exposed soils, a potential public-health hazard.
The board unanimously approved a motion requesting the Town Board to enforce waterfront consistency review under section 403-5 of the town code; to require the building department to remedy stormwater shortfalls identified by CAB’s June 12 DSP inspection; to require the applicant to submit a proper reclamation and erosion-sedimentation control plan (including SWIP) for planning board and CAB review with eventual town-board approval; and to require enforcement of section 407-201A4 and monitoring/reporting on restoration success. The motion was seconded, discussed, and carried by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the CAB minutes.
Members said one owner cooperated with CAB volunteers and indicated willingness to work on a restoration concept, but the board emphasized that compliance must be formalized through required plans and town oversight rather than voluntary fixes. The group said the DEC has also been notified and that DEC action is on hold pending broader legal questions about wetland delineation; CAB said it would not wait for DEC to move and urged local action to prevent continued erosion and further fill.
The CAB will forward its motion and inspection findings to the Town Board and recommended the town require concrete reclamation measures, a SWIP with post-construction stormwater controls, and ongoing monitoring to verify long-term success.
