Bradford Conservation Commission Secretary’s Report
November 19, 2019, 7pm at Brown Memorial Library
Present: George Beaton, Nathanial Bruss, J Ann Eldridge, Meg Fearnley, Patty Furness, Scott MacLean, Brooks McCandlish, Doug Southard.
Secretary’s Draft Report: The draft minutes of 10/15/2019 were reviewed. A motion was made by Brooks to accept the report, seconded by Nathanial, and unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Invoices were submitted for bog and bridge boards, and conference fee reimbursement.
NHACC Annual Conference: Doug, George, Scott and Patty reported on the workshops attended. All agreed that it was a very informative and enriching day.
Membership: Doug has been granted full membership to the BCC by the Select Board.
Select Board: A recent inquiry was presented on what the Select Board can do for the BCC. After deliberation, items of importance included designation of all Class VI roads as Emergency Lanes, timely response by the SB to issues presented by the BCC, notification to the BCC of any issues that impact natural resources, and the implementation of an annual town contribution to the Land Protection Fund of the BCC.
HB591: Notification of abutters necessary before authorizing OHRV use of a road. SB was advised of this by Doug.
Fairgrounds Road: BCC concerns regarding a non-permitted junkyard include close proximity to West Branch Brook, seasonal flooding in the area, and a threat to the aquifer. A complaint will be filed with the town.
Alder Plains Road: Concern about unregistered vehicles, unofficial signage, garbage and road obstructions. A second complaint has been filed with the town and with DES for wetlands violations.
Planning Board/Master Plan Update: Doug and Ann conferred with the PB on the land use chapter of the Master Plan update. There was an expressed desire to encourage growth in downtown area, but there is concern about water and sewer needs. Value of cluster housing was mentioned, as well as increasing lot size to 10 acres in the conservation zone. Nathanial suggested looking at overlays in defining the conservation zone. Important issues in land use include protection of the aquifer, ridge tops, agricultural soils, steep slopes, and unfragmented plots of land. Also of concern is stream protection, and it was suggested to expand on the Shoreline Protection Act to include streams. Ann will draft a letter to the Planning Board of our concerns with land use in the Master Plan, to be reviewed by BCC members.
Class VI Roads: Brooks reasserted the need to designate all Class VI Roads as emergency Lanes. Nathanial opined that building on Class VI Roads should not be permitted, because it increases sprawl and distances from town services, and it also fragments land. Before any work is done on a Class VI Road, a plan and notification must be submitted to the Road Agent. These issues should be added to the Master Plan update. Ann will send suggestions to PB.
Aiken Pasture: Brooks volunteered to create a forestry management plan for this easement sometime in the future.
Bradford Bog: Many thanks to Seth for the new plant identification signage! To prevent boardwalk users from going astray, a directional sign will be placed at the spur trail. The Bog trail guides need updating. Ann will ask Deb Dunlop if she would like to revise.
Naughton Trails: M James to file a DES Wetlands Minimum Impact Trails Development or Maintenance Project Notification form. The trail near the pond edge was set back.
Warner River Local Advisory Board: An online survey is now available that will help inform the development of the Warner River Corridor Management Plan. It will found on the town website, and Scott will submit info to the Bridge.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:10. The next meeting will be December 17, 2019,7pm at BML.
Respectfully submitted,
Patty Furness, Secretary