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Danbury commission approves diver-assisted dredging to restore pond at 2 Birch Road
Summary
The Danbury Environmental Impact Commission approved a pond-restoration plan for 2 Birch Road that calls for diver-assisted suction dredging of about 400 cubic yards of wet sediment, two sediment forebays and native plantings; the approval includes eight conditions and a change requiring sediment testing before spoils leave the site.
The Danbury Environmental Impact Commission voted to approve a pond-restoration project at 2 Birch Road that will remove sediment from a residential pond using a diver-assisted suction dredging method.
The project, presented by landscape architect Tracy Shalifo, would remove roughly 400 cubic yards of wet sediment and use a dewatering bag and lined return channel so the pond would not need to be fully drained. "We're proposing to remove 400 cubic yards of wet sediment from this pond with a diver assisted suction dredging method," Shalifo said during the Nov. 13 hearing. She said the plan would return water to the pond while pumping slurry to an on-site dewatering bag, then haul dried spoils off-site.
The commission approved the application with eight conditions, and commissioners agreed to the applicant's requested change to the first condition so that sediment testing must occur "prior to the spoils being removed from the site." Staff had recommended approval and noted the diver already holds required permits; a staff member told the commission the applicants hope to complete the work this season or this winter rather than wait for low-flow conditions next August.
The approved plan also includes erosion-control measures and two sediment forebays to intercept sand and leaves entering the pond from a culvert under Birch Road, placement of a turbidity curtain during work, preservation of existing trees, and native plantings (proposed species named by the applicant include sourwood, red maple and serviceberry). The applicant said disturbed areas will be restored and that no trees are proposed for removal.
The commission's motion to approve was moved by Commissioner Jeff Herold and seconded; the motion carried. The record notes a bond and requirement for a qualified environmental consultant to monitor construction as part of the conditions.
The commission did not set a specific construction start date in the hearing; staff said the applicant intends to begin once the approval and appeal period end and that the diver is already permitted to work in the near term. The applicant thanked the commission after the vote.
