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Conservation Commission 1/15/2025
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This episode promises to equip you with a deeper understanding of how to balance construction ambitions with environmental stewardship. You'll gain firsthand knowledge about the strategic improvements needed for access driveways, the innovative use of existing roadways to minimize disruption, and the intricate erosion controls designed to protect sensitive environmental areas.
Join us as we navigate the complexities of regulatory compliance and the rigorous standards a commercial cell tower project must meet. Our discussion spotlights the critical elements of stormwater management and the necessity of precise boundary surveys, all while underscoring the importance of long-term maintenance plans for access routes. With a keen focus on meeting town standards and adhering to wetland protection laws, we critically analyze the project’s adherence to guidelines, including the crucial civil engineering stamps and stormwater management checklists. Dive into the meticulous planning and regulatory adherence required to make this ambitious project a reality.
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Cell Tower Construction Project Discussion
Speaker 1Good evening everyone . We'll call the . January 15th meeting of the Rainham Conservation Commission . To order Please be advised . All these meetings are recorded . Riley , would you ?
Speaker 2read us in All public hearings and meetings heard by the Rainium conservation Commission on Wednesday , january 15 . This is me , 2025 , at 5 30 pm in the radium veterans Memorial Town Hall , donald Elmick , in a meeting on 5 58 South Main Street . Radiant mass are related to the fillings in joint hearings and or meetings on the master and a lot . Chapter 131 and 40 as amended in the town of Rainham . What would protection by law ?
Speaker 1all right , well up . First we have a notice of intent for zero Main Street parcel 5-2 , 6-0 , dep number two six , nine , ten , sixty eight , leaving anything . Good evening , good evening .
Speaker 3I have the cards and the affidavit of publication . Okay , my name is Brandon Fanef . I am a professional wetland scientist .
Speaker 1We have to read the name first , yep , just one second , sorry .
Speaker 4Okay , the public meeting zero north main street . Random legal notice public hearing conservation commission in Massachusetts . According accordance with chapter 131 , section 40 of the master of laws , and a public meeting will be held by the Random Conservation Commission on Wednesday , january 15th at 5.30 pm in the Donald L McKinnon Meeting Room in the Random Victims Memorial Town Hall , 58 Main Street , random Mass . On a notice of intent application filed by Atlantic Tower , the applicant proposes improvements to existing gravel access driveway to a proposed cell tower . Proposed construction of activities within the 100 foot buffer zone . The property is owned by Atlantic Tower , located at 0 Mount Main Street , map 5 , partial 26 .
Speaker 3Good evening , go ahead . Thank you , good evening . My name is Brandon Fana . I'm a professional wetland scientist and principal at Ecosystem Solutions in Warwick , rhode Island . I also have Tyler Correa from my office and behind me is the civil engineer of the project , scott Adams from Advanced Engineering in East Providence .
Speaker 3So to get right into the project the ultimate purpose of this project is to build a cell phone tower in more of the center of the site , in fact hold on a second here . So here's North Main Street , right here Juniper Lane . The entrance to the site is right across the street from Juniper Lane . It goes right through here , bifurcates a large PVW , curls around and comes up into this area right here . It used to be an old gravel pit and the area right in the middle here where the red dot is , is outside of the buffer zone and outside of the 150-foot zone as well , which is where the tower is proposed . So the tower itself there are detail sheets on the construction of the tower , but the tower itself is going to be outside of jurisdiction .
Speaker 3What we're here for is regarding the road going into it . There's already a gravel cart path roadway . It's actually in pretty good shape by my standards . It comes through here , in this section , right here where it's narrow . Historically , the VVW was filled to create it , but that was done at a time that was so long ago I don't think anybody even knows , and I doubt that it was ever jurisdictional , like under the Wellens Protection Act , most likely like under the Wellens Protection Act , most likely done before the Wellens Protection Act . So in order to build the tower , we have to get infrastructure in there which includes electrical line and and fiber , you know , telephone line , and that is proposed to be underground . Okay , so what we would like to do is To utilize the existing roadway that comes through here to build it . Tyler , could you , could you flip ? Thank you , so Again , juniper Drive right here .
Speaker 3North Main . Here's the existing roadway that that threads the needle through the bvw , and then it widens up this blue area right here . That's the hundred and fifty foot mark , right , isn't ? Yep , tyler ? Tyler colored it up for you . So all of the work that is proposed involves trenching down the existing roadway here . Flip it , okay .
Speaker 3So now this , this dark area , is the area where work is proposed , which is in the existing roadway to where the tower will be up . In this area there's an X with lines through it . On the north side of the roadway , which is basically there's like a , you can see the two tire tracks as you go down . So , basically , if you're going down from the road on the right side , where that tire track is is where the trench is proposed to be dug , approximately four feet deep to put the wiring in , and then the utilities will be put in and the trenching any of the spoils will go on the south side , so on the left track , and when the trenching and installation is done for the day , the material will be put back . Not all of it , though , so could you flip again ? That's , that's the actual tower spot right here . Flip again , okay . So this is sheet Z3 .
Speaker 3I want to direct you to this detail right here . So the utilities will go down at the bottom of the trench and then around it is going to be compacted gravel which will be imported like some good stuff that'll compact , and then the native ground that we dug up will go on top of it , which means that there's going to be a little bit of excess material that won't fit back into the trench . That material would be propose to be brought up to where the tower is to be constructed , for whatever may be needed for , for grading , filling in holes , things like that . And , of course , on either side of the driveway we're proposing erosion controls . Right there , we'll get it right there .
Speaker 3So we're proposing waddles on either side of the driveway . The driveway going in , we're only proposing to be disturbing about a 12-foot wide swath through it . But from top of shoulder to top of shoulder it's about 16 feet wide , so there's ample room to work . So the I mean the , the areas we work in there's no vegetation that needs to come down . It is within the buffer zone , but it's in a pre-existing disturbed areas , including the , the roadway . Anything you want to add , it's good thank you .
Speaker 3So that's the project in a nutshell , it's basically bringing in the infrastructure needed for a cell tower .
Speaker 1In a 16-foot wide roadway , you're going to be able to get all the tower components and everything in there .
Speaker 3I think so .
Speaker 1Yes .
Speaker 5They do it on 12 feet . The industry standard is . All they're doing is 12 feet wide . That's their industry standard access roads , even on tight sites . They actually order the tower sections as needed . Whether it's a monopole or a self-support tower , they can design them site-specific .
Speaker 2How long do ?
Speaker 3you anticipate the time frame to build that , to put that stuff in from the beginning ?
Speaker 4of the roadway to back to where the site is . Good question .
Speaker 3I asked Scott the same question today . I would say a week to two weeks , depending upon weather . It's something that's going to happen pretty quickly .
Speaker 5I was thinking like when you're digging , you're going to have the big trucks and then you're going to refill it over .
Speaker 3You're probably not going to use that big trucks and then you're going to refill it over .
Speaker 2You're probably not going to use that or try to stay off of that .
Speaker 5I actually talked to the construction manager today on the way here .
Speaker 2Scott Adams . Yes .
Speaker 5Scott Adams with Advanced Engineering Group . So I called the construction manager while I was here just to kind of think it through exactly . We haven't done full-blown construction plans yet , so I was trying to gauge his level of impact and what we thought process is it's probably going to be easier for the contractor where they actually would dig and remove . They'd dig it into a truck , basically They'd actually stockpile it out of the resource area , they would do their work and then they would put back in whatever is necessary after they do the bedding material , because it is kind of a narrow area and they're going to be islands , so to speak , on the inside , if they , if they don't finish one day exactly .
Speaker 5So it's probably easier if they actually get , take the material out of the way and the trench is only going to be about 12 inches wide , so that you know they basically it's not going to be very big and they can almost straddle the trench with their equipment , should they need to , because it's such a narrow trench and it's not overly deep from a construction standpoint . So more than likely in order to straddle the trench for those hundred because it's such a narrow trench and it's not overly deep from a construction standpoint so more than likely in order to straddle the trench for those 100-foot sections . It's easier to not have the dirt pile adjacent to it .
Speaker 4We've been out there before . There was some violation at the beginning of that where they hadn't identified all of the wetlands . So they cleaned that up and they removed a lot of the debris , but that's a dirt path that whole length . Are you going to be tearing that up to get your equipment in there ?
Speaker 5Well , basically , the order of operations would be obviously the erosion control would go in first , then the trenching would take place for the utilities and then they would repair the road surface and have a nice gravel road surface , you know , when it's completed . So you're proposing to gravel that tower ? Yes , yeah , it would be graveled all the way to the tower site , and that's typical of these sites . Once these sites are built , they very rarely get access , to be perfectly honest . I mean , I usually tell boards once a month , but realistically it's only a couple times a year . They are remotely monitored .
Speaker 5The technicians really only go there if there's a problem , something goes off and they need to , or if we have a catastrophic event like sandy and this and everybody's out of power and they need to . You know , fuel , a generator or something like that . They would . They visit the site , but it's not . It's an unmanned facility . Nobody's there on a daily basis . There's not a lot of traffic flow , um , and it has already technically been approved by the town , like the zoning board , and stuff has been approved and we're here just for the crossing .
Speaker 4Just going to say are you going to manage the vegetation on that road ? It's going to grow over .
Speaker 5Yeah , I mean they'll mow it or do what's necessary to keep it at a . We go to sites all the time , honestly , and they're used to . These type of sites are being unmanned , being remotely accessed . They don't go to them very often so there's not a lot of maintenance that's really required to do , but yes , they will . If any saplings were to grow up , they would definitely cut it down within the roadway surface , but it does . The landlord that owns it obviously . I don't know if he hunts it , I'm not sure , but there is a little bit of traffic there from people , that from homeowners and stuff in the area around the trail there's a shooting range on there .
Speaker 4Yeah , you hear them all afternoon I can't believe it .
Speaker 3There's a lot of land back there . There's a lot of , there's a lot of paths back there .
Speaker 5Yeah , it's pretty impressive actually it's almost like there was a road that runs left from the highway , like parallel to the roadway that used to go out to where the highway was originally located . It came up in some of the plan research . It's pretty substantial . It's like 20 feet wide and runs all the way up to the highway .
Speaker 1One thing I don't see on your plan . I see you've got contours where the salt tower is going , but where the disturbed areas and through the wetlands I don't see any contours .
Speaker 5The interesting thing there is that we're not attempting to change the grade . We're attempting to keep it exactly what it is and just get rid of any puddles or anything like that .
Speaker 1And that leads to my next comment . Without seeing the grades , it makes it even harder to understand . But I've been out there a couple times and from my memory the road's not very high , so I would recommend somewhere along the line hydraulically connecting the two wetlands . It's going to save you issues , I believe , during high water times , of water coming up over the road and possibly infiltrating your trench areas .
Speaker 5I mean to be honest . If the roadway were to overtop in a traumatic event , my client's fine with
Site Improvements and Regulatory Compliance
Speaker 5it .
Speaker 1These roads are not built to town standards , they may be fine with it .
Speaker 5I guess , just so I can get it out there . So the roadway is existing and I can drive down it now in its existing form , with a 2500 series pickup truck , with an SUV . There's no limitations to the road other than there may be leaves on the surface .
Speaker 1You're making improvements to the site . So , with improvements to the site , now we have the right to ask things to make the area better . So what I'm saying is there probably should be a couple crossings where you can connect the two wetlands . And like I said , without there being grades from point A to point B , the street to the tower . It's kind of hard to look on the map and say you know where they should go .
Speaker 6The project is not exempt from storm water . It's not exempt from storm water management . No , so the so you're gonna look at the erosion impact and the green , and so they need to prove them a little more detail on how they're going to stabilize the road . He's saying he's thinking he's pick-up truck to go there .
Speaker 1They're not going to be building that with the pick-up truck .
Speaker 6No , they're going to have the equipment and dump trucks . Yeah , you have to have a long-term maintenance plan for that access roadway and besides you've got a lot of jurisdictional boundaries here Border and vegetative wetlands and property lands and for Crown Outland you're preparing a plan and you're doing a property boundary and your reference is according to GIS map , who's surveying for this project ?
Speaker 5No , we did surveying on this project , but as part of my client's proposal . They don't necessarily do a full boundary survey of the lot when we're thousands of feet in from the right-of-way , it does not matter .
Speaker 6I'm sorry . I said it does not matter . You're showing boundary , property boundary and you're calling it property boundary and you're not a surveyor .
Speaker 5I have a surveyor that works for me , that works for my firm .
Speaker 6Well , where's the surveyor ?
Speaker 5stamp . I'd be more than happy to put a stamp on it .
Speaker 1Well then , you should not do that .
Speaker 2I'm the owner of the firm , so it doesn't matter , you're making a representation here .
Speaker 6You're making a representation with a lot of jurisdictional boundaries . Correct , showing offsets . That is not the civil engineering work .
Speaker 5That's the land civil engineering work , that's , land surveying work Understood , I understand your concern . I'm happy to put my civil engineering .
Speaker 6It's not a concern , that is practice and proper practice .
Speaker 5My firm is licensed to do civil engineering services . If the stamp was omitted by mistake , I'd be happy to understand .
Speaker 6It's not omitted by mistake .
Speaker 5So you think I left it off on purpose . I'm sorry .
Speaker 6I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry .
Speaker 5I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry .
Speaker 6I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , I'm sorry , representing plans that are not properly drawn . And you're making representation and you're telling me that you're getting off subject . Are you serious ? Are you really serious with that ? Massachusetts doesn't . In Rhode Island , your farm has been licensed . Massachusetts does not license corporations , it licenses individuals .
Speaker 5Understood . I will absolutely correct that in the next revision .
Speaker 1So , once again , back to connecting the weapons . I think you're going to need to show on your revision , where they're going to go Because , like I said , you are making improvements to the site , so do you . How many culverts would you think that that's up to you .
Speaker 6You're the engineer , I'm just saying that and I I can't , like I said , I can't tell because there's no , there's no contours , but you need to hide your height to draw the , but you need to hydrothermically connect the wetlands to the other and there is not even any stormwater discussion , not even in a qualitative or qualitative even if it's not quantitative any characterization of the stormwater .
Speaker 1This is not exempt from stormwater management and that leads to my next technical question you're going to have to correct is on your application . You checked no on the stormwater management . Our secretary caught it today and she left me a note . Unfortunately she's not here , but you'll have to correct that page on the application .
Speaker 5So just on page 7 . So from the improving the existing trenching and putting the road back to where it is now will trigger stormwater . No that's not In other jurisdictions . That hasn't been .
Speaker 6Did you read ? When was the last time you read the stormwater management guidelines and the DEP regulations ? Every time you read the storm water management guidelines and the regulations . The only thing that is exempt from storm water is four residential units , or four subdivision or less . For new construction , it doesn't matter . This is not a residential project . There is no exemption clause for all commercial projects . This is not a residential project .
Speaker 5Understood clause for all commercial projects . This is not a residential project Understood , but I guess my point being is the access servicing this lot will also be used for the residential use of the future . The rest of the lot is still residential .
Speaker 1Its primary use right now , as you're presenting it to us , is for a commercial cell tower , Not a residential cell tower . A commercial cell tower . So what he's saying is under the laws , you have to manage stormwater , All right , so that's clamp and the next you ?
Speaker 6have to describe your existing conditions and your proposed conditions and how you are meeting the standards . They didn't even submit the stormwater checklist . No , they're supposed to submit that .
Speaker 5And this is for the area that's within jurisdiction to the access road .
Speaker 6What you need to do , sir , is read the Massachusetts regulations . You have to get here First of all . You're telling me oh , you have to come to this license to do work which is an incorrect statement because Massachusetts doesn't do that , going away from that for a second actions to do work , which is an incorrect statement because the message doesn't do that .
Speaker 6Going away from that for a second . You prepared a notice of intent that does not even meet the minimum standards for a notice of intent and you're asking us , what should you do ? And you check the wrong boxes and you are here making excuses for not doing your job .
Speaker 1So one other thing you're going to have to add to your checklist is a dewatering plan for the cell tower site itself , and how are you going to handle that ?
Speaker 5Okay , so even though the cell tower is out of jurisdiction , you're looking for the dewatering and construction plans for that area . I mean it's out of the jurisdiction but .
Speaker 6One of the statutory interests of the Wetlands Protection Act is groundwater protection .
Speaker 1Yeah , I mean you're surrounded by wetlands so you're going to be digging down , I'm assuming , a good 8 , 10 feet to put your concrete in . Usually it's about 6 feet . Either or You're inter-disturbing the ground water .
Speaker 6What it is is the plans are inadequate .
Speaker 1They're missing a lot . They're missing a lot . Like I said , yes , the site itself of the cell tower is non-jurisdictional , but everything leading up to it is jurisdictional . That's why we can , and you're , making site improvements , so that's why we can ask for these details and they have to show up on the plan .
Speaker 6Something that needs to be very clear . It's not the commission's responsibility to justify requiring that an applicant complies with the regulations . No , you shouldn't even have that kind of discussion that way . He is changing the conversation so that you're supposed to be justifying what you are requiring , what they're supposed to comply with . Have they read the regulations ? Have they read the regulations ? No , I agree . Okay , so you are not here to make excuses or justify why you are requiring what you are requiring , because the Act , attendance regulations require those things . So the Commission is not in the position to justify its position of requiring them to comply . That is absurd .
Speaker 1Right now , for all intents and purposes , the plan is incomplete .
Speaker 5Okay , so just to be clear , we're looking for a drainage report for the access road , the culverts to add hydraulic connections between the two wetland bodies on either side and the dewatering details for the tower foundation and maintenance plan for long term , long term maintenance plan for the surveyors .
Speaker 1The surveyors yeah , okay , all right , all right , with said any comments from the audience ? No , come on , so I like you . All right , would you like to continue ? Continuance , I'm sorry , yes , please , continuance . How long do you think it will take you to achieve all this ? When's the next hearing date ? Next one is February 5th and then the 19th March 5th .
Speaker 3How far ahead of the next meeting do the plants have to be in ?
Speaker 1They have to be . What's it ? One week At least , a week ahead of time , Right , so a week before February 29th .
Speaker 5So it'll be the 29th 29 , so basically two weeks from today . I think we shoot for the shoot for getting it submitted for the 29th . If some reason there's a delay , then we'll ask for an additional continuous to the next regular meeting , okay all right , very good then okay thank you .
Speaker 1Motion to continue second . Oh , I'm sorry .
Speaker 4I'm sorry . Motion to continue . Notice of intent 0 North Main Street , partial 526 , dep 269 , 1068 to the next meeting .
Speaker 2I will second that .
Speaker 1Motion to be made . Second All in favor , aye , aye , opposed . Thank you . Next up is did we get a chance to read the minutes from November 20th ?
Speaker 4Motion to accept Second .
Speaker 1Motion to make a second . All in favor . Aye , aye , bills , bills , bills , bills . I don't think she got those done in time . No , no , she wasn't . Oh , she wasn't Good . Okay , all right . Correspondence nothing . Site visits . I did the hay bale line for the national grid improvements out behind the IHOP . That would be their first landing . Everything looked good there . I think that's all I've done recently .
Speaker 1That's a new power line , the new power , putting the new power poles up . That's just phase one out there . They've got more to do . They'll be back . Other than that , anybody got God . I can't talk tonight . Anybody else have anything ? No , I don't . No .
Speaker 2All right , then one more motion .
Speaker 1Motion to a meeting at 5 56 , second second all in favor aye unanimous .