Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Barry Property topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission flags soil, water and habitat risks for proposed Barry property subdivision; drafts comment letter to Planning Board
Summary
Temple Conservation Commission members raised concerns about lead‑arsenate contamination in an old orchard, impacts to groundwater feeding Wilton’s Watershed District, and potential habitat for rare trees, brook trout, turtles and bats. The commission directed Mike Madden to finalize a letter recommending specific due‑diligence tasks for Fieldstone Land Consultants.
At its Jan. 31, 2026 special meeting, the Temple Conservation Commission reviewed a forthcoming preliminary subdivision plan from Fieldstone Land Consultants for the Barry property along North Road and identified multiple environmental and public‑resource risks the commission wants the Temple Planning Board to consider.
Sean Radcliffe, chair, said the commission’s role is to highlight potential risks to the town’s natural resources. Commissioners and guests discussed several specific concerns: historic orchard pesticide use (lead arsenate) that is relatively immobile until soil is disturbed; the need for broad grid‑style soil testing at multiple depths (described by Mike Madden as best practice for large areas); and the possibility that the former processing area (Lot 17) could be a contamination hot spot — James Jones, an abutter, said the processing house still exists and that a soil sample taken about 15 years ago detected contamination.
The commission also raised water‑resource concerns. Members noted the brook on the Barry property feeds Wilton’s Watershed District, which supplies drinking water to Wilton, and that an aquifer sits beneath the east side of the parcel. On habitat, Sean Radcliffe referenced work by Eric Foley in the adjacent Town Forest and noted the potential presence of rare Black Gum trees and a reported 5‑foot diameter red oak. Scott Hecker and James Jones both verified sightings of brook trout in the brook; members also expressed concern that wood and spotted turtles, both species of concern, are likely present. The minutes note a rare bat species tied to a previous conservation grant may also be in the area.
Commissioners warned that a development of the proposed scale could increase traffic and prompt road‑widening that would further degrade habitat. As an alternative, the commission discussed using part of the Barry parcel to expand the existing Town Forest and said it can assist owners seeking conservation, including providing some funding toward easement costs as it has for other town properties.
Mike Madden drafted a preliminary letter listing due‑diligence tasks for Fieldstone; members will send edits and Mike will incorporate them into a final letter to the Temple Planning Board. The minutes list attachments (two background papers on arsenical pesticides/old orchards, a letter from the Wilton Conservation Commission, and the draft Temple Conservation Commission letter).
