HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-5-6ConCom Minutes for \lav 6 2019 adopted May 22
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
PUBLIC MEETING
2 Bathing Beach Road
Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554
www.nantucket-ma.gov
Monday, May 6, 2019
10 Surfside Road
Nantucket High School, Large Group Instruction Room — 4:00 p.m.
Commissioners: Andrew Bennett(Chair), Ashley Erisman(Vice Chair), Ernie Steinauer, David La.Fleur, y
Ben Champoux, Ian Golding, Joe Topham
Called to order at 4:02 p.m.
Staff in attendance: Jeff Carlson, Natural Resources Coordinator; Joanne Dodd, Natural Resources Office Administratgs; Terry
Norton, Town Minutes Taker
Attending Members: Bennett, Erisman, Steinauer, LaFleur, Champoux, Golding, Topham _
Absent Members: None
Late Arrivals: None
Earlier Departure: None
Agenda adopted by unanimous consent
1. PUBLIC MEETING
A. Announcements
B. Public Comment — None
11. PUBLIC HEARING
A. Notice of Intent
1. *Sconset Beach Preservation Fund — 59-119 Baxter Road (49&48 -various) Area SE48-3115 (Continued 5/20/21019)
Sitting Bennett, Erisman, Steinauer, LaFleur, Champoux, Golding, Topham
Recused None
Documentation Supporting documents and plans. PowerPoint® presentation.
Representatives None
Public Emily Molden, Nantucket Land Council (NCL)
Dirk Roggeveen, Quidnet/Squam Association (QSA)
Discussion None
Staff Explained the reason for the continuance.
Motion Continued to May 20, 2019 by unanimous consent.
Vote N/A
III. PUBLIC MEETING
A. Certificate of Compliance
1. Susan H. Ball — 41 Easton street (42.4.1-20)SE48-1387
Sitting Bennett, Erisman, Steinauer, LaFleur, Champoux, Golding, Topham
Staff We questioned the elevation; those turned out to be lower than is usually found.
Discussion (4:04) None
Motion Motion to Issue. (made by: Steinauer) (seconded by: Golding)
Vote Carried unanimously
B. Other Business
1. Approval of Minutes 4/22/2019: Adopted by unanimous consent.
2. Pool Discussion
Sitting Bennett, Erisman, Steinauer, LaFleur, Champoux, Golding, Topham
Documentation Correspondence '
Public Emily Molden, Director Nantucket Land Council
James Kielawa, certified pool operator & 151 -class start-up technician
Burt Balkind, 10A Scotts Way, landscaper
Discussion (4:05) Golding — He has a friend in the pool business who mentioned how toxic are chemicals used in curing pools.
Champoux — We have put in distance to groundwater, no discharge within 100feet of resource area, and no
chemicals prior to discharge.
Erisman — Doesn't believe any pool should be waivered for distance to groundwater.
Topham — Pools do require engineering plans. You need to assure that if the pool leaks, it won't go into the
groundwater.
Carlson — Suggested something that addresses confirming distance to groundwater in all resource areas and
clearly sets forth information required when asking for a waiver for distance to groundwater. Any regulator
change needs to be reviewed by Town Counsel. A question could be whether you can apply the same regulation
to a full basement or not.
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ConCom Minutes for May 6 2019 adopted May 22
Erisman — Asked if the Sewer Department has data about how much pool rater is going through their scT
that could be compared against the 800 pools we know of If a pool is emptied randomly into the street, the
damaging as well.
Carlson — He thinks he can get an answer to that from David Gray, Sewer Department -Manager. Roher,,
Santamaria, Health Director, has drafted regulations regarding pools and groundwater. Its hard to mon,:
pools because they are usually- behind a house and out of sight. He's looked at other commumt,,- pool standar�s
but hasn't found any much different than ours.
Steinauer — Pools in land subject to coastal storm flowage are a different case.
Erisman — If there is a basement failure, it usually doesn't have tete same impact as a pool.
Carlson — Structures in the flood zone have to be designed to allow the land the capacity to absorb the floe
waters.
Golding — Wondered if gunite leaches during construction.
Melawa — There is no water proofing on the outside of a pool shell; the concrete hardens over 28 da s just like
a basement slab. Explained the engineering for a pool to prevent buoyancy. Chlorine for sv,-immers is 1-5
milligrams (mg) per liter and drinking is 4 mg per titer; pools can go higher if you use a chlorine shock treatment.
which can be as high as 10 mg per liter. Explained some of the chemicals and ways used to neutralize chlorine
and problems those can cause. It's recommended to discharge pools into the lawn, but we don't want that since
Nantucket is a sole -source aquifer. If antifreeze agent is used, it is put in the outdoor pump and sometimes the
skimmers; around October the water is drained below the returns, about 1 foot, and the lines blown out. Yr)':
PH, alkalinity-, and calcium content are the three things checked to balance the pool water. The sun can dissipate
almost 80 percent of a pool's chlorine on a sunny day. Before winterization, suggests pool operators not ACC
chlorine after a certain date. Every- time a chlorine disk is added to a pool, it should be recorded. Spas shou_' :
be watched as well since the water has to be exchanged on a regular basis; some spa ov.-ners change the xa:t:
between renters. There is now a building code for pools and spas. Explained Chloramine; used -up chlorine :z
what you smell. Explained the maintenance operator should be able to detect a leak in a pool; the onl_. o -her
way to tell is by the water bill or the well pump keeps kicking on. Explained the engineering of a pool espec.a_..
regarding high groundwater. Reviewed the plumbing pipe installation. Drainage from a below -grade equipmcn-
room should be a concern for the Board.
Balkind — Fertilizer applicators have to record what is used; asked if there is anything like that or a data ljase
for product used in pools.
Kielawa — There isn't a State data base but there probably is a data base somewhere. Noted that :hen
chlorinated water goes into a sanitary sewer pipe, the chlorine level drops because the crud eats it up.
Carlson — Documentation of pool chemicals used is something that this Commission could condition.
Erisman — We need to require records on every time a pool and spa is drained down.
Molden — She was definitely- interested in the Commission taking a closer look at pool standards and conditions.
There seems to be a lot of potential for conditions not to be followed and potential harm from pumping out
pools. Perhaps there are resource areas that should have greater buffers and or restrictions. _Agrees pools
land subject to coastal storm flowage might not be appropriate.
Balldnd — Properties turned into _3irbnb are getting drained at even_- turnover; he's never seen an:. -one do
anything but run it into the lawn, which could be 1000 gallons a week.
Carlson — He has a list of information to get for the Commissioners. This discussion can carr,- on over stvtr.
meetings.
3. Monitoring Report: None
4. Enforcement Actions: None
5. Reports: None
G. Commissioners Comment:
a. Steinauer — lie had to watch the video for the last meeting. The audio was terrible; he could hear some presenters
and a couple of commissioners but none of the public.
7. .Administrator/Staff Reports: None
Adjourned at 5:20 p.m. by, unanimous consent.
Submitted by:
Terry, L. Norton
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