A Boy Scout at Inland Wetlands

Andrew Fazzino picked a productive meeting of the Inland Wetlands Agency to attend for his Boy Scouts merit badge. Andrew is a 6th grader at Keigwin School, he sat attentively throughout the 90 minute meeting.

Retroactive permit granted.

The Agency approved the application by Phil Armetta for a permit to damage about 1000 square feet of wetlands on Newfield Street. As part of the application, Armetta proposed to enhance a 3000 square feet, man-made wetlands, and to create a new 1500 square feet wetlands, both on a nearby property very close to the Mattabesset River. The property is on the other side of the railroad tracks between Newfield Street and the Mattabesset (see picture below), at the edge of the "Floating Meadows" which line the Mattabesset near its confluence with the Connecticut.

The wetlands creation and enhancement plan was put together by Richard Snarski, a Registered Soil Scientist, Professional Wetlands Scientist, and Certified Sediment & Erosion Control Specialist. Snarski indicated that the existing man-made wetlands has no topsoil. The proposal calls for excavation of 6-12 inches, followed by filling with either topsoil or leaf compost, and the placement of wood debris to provide structure for wildlife. The area will be seeded with appropriate grasses, and nearly a thousand herbaceous wetland plants, including sedges, iris, monkey flower, and Canada rush.

Exotic, invasive plants and cattails will be removed for three years after construction, eradicated either by digging with a hand shovel, or spraying with herbicide "Rodeo". The wetland will be monitored for three years, with annual monitoring reports sent to the Inland Wetlands Agency.

The original parking lot expansion on Newfield Street, which destroyed wetlands, will not only remain, but it will become paved. Zoning Enforcement Officer Bruce Driska told me after the meeting that the slope of the lot after paving will improve the current situation, as it will cause some of the water run-off to move away from wetlands on the neighboring property (the

Toyota dealership).

Commissioner Hector Bartoli asked Snarski if hydrocarbons from oil and gasoline could travel from the parking lot into the wetlands. Snarski acknowledged they would, and agreed to shorten the parking lot and to plant a strip of grass which would filter the water before it went into the wetlands.

Commentary.

The kerfuffle which began with the unauthorized destruction of wetlands by Phil Armetta 6 months ago has ended with an agreement with the potential to increase the quality and

quantity of wetlands in the Mattabesset River floodplain. The application put together by Snarski is specific enough that it will be straightforward for the Zoning Enforcement Officer of the Planning Department to verify compliance with its proposals.

The ZEO should verify that the use of "topsoil or leaf compost" and "wood debris" is responsible and appropriate for wetlands and wildlife habitat. Most importantly, the ZEO should verify that the annual "monitoring reports" accurately reflect what the application promises, in terms of plantings and removal of exotic invasive species.

More generally, and in my opinion, unfortunately, this is not the only retroactive application which has recently been approved in City Hall. Within the past month, citizens elected or appointed to the Inland Wetlands Agency and the Planning and Zoning Commission, have given unanimous permission for actions which violated regulations but were already done. Although each of these decisions was a reasonable one, they are part of a pernicious pattern which I have heard many in City Hall characterize as, "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission."

This approach to land use decisions is unfair to the responsible residents of the city, who may suffer delay, frustration, and extra costs for being aware of and following the regulations. For someone who follows the rules, it must be galling to see a car dealership benefit for six months from an extra parking lot created without any consideration of the required wetlands destruction permit.

The "forgiveness" approach also jeopardizes the land, by reducing or eliminating any penalties for ignoring the regulations of the city and the state. In this particular case, the wetlands destroyed was not a significant loss to the environment or flood control. However, one does not have to look far to find highly significant wetlands which are bordered by land coveted for other uses. In fact, the wetlands which will be created by tonight's application are between the Cromwell Meadows and land which Armetta wishes to develop for future uses, according to Snarski.

The land is near the site of a possible Bale-to-Rail Trash Plant which the City has discussed with Armetta. The City should ensure that all of the wetlands surrounding Cromwell Meadows, including those enhanced or created as part of tonight's application, are clearly demarcated and protected, and that retroactive permit approval is not the cheapest and easiest approach for developers to comply with regulations.

In the aerial photo below, the approximate position of the enhanced wetlands is indicated by an asterix (*). Armetta owns both of the two parcels outlined in green. They are currently being used for storage of dumpsters and large metal freight shipping containers.