39A-001 Northampton Senior Center permits
MEMORANDUM
MEMORANDUM
To: Peg Keller, Housing and Community Development Planner
From: Sarah LaValley, Conservation Planner
Date: May 6, 2010
Re: Northampton Senior Center Order of Conditions, DEP File 246-574, 81 Conz Street
The Conservation Commission issuedan Order of Conditions for construction of the
Northampton Senior Center on January 19, 2006. This Order expired on January 19, 2009.
Construction of the Senior Center is complete, and the majority of the conditions outlined in the
Order have been completed. However, there are two ongoing conditions that have not been
addressed, meaning a Certificate of Complicance cannot be requested at this time, and that the
project is not in compliance with the Order. The following conditions should be addressed prior
to the end of the 2010 growing season:
26)Applicant must maintain an eight food wide buffer strip between the wetland and the
parking lot. The entire buffer strip is to be planted with native shrubs and trees, in
clusters, with no more than three feet of spacing between plantings.
This condition references the parking area at the southern section of the site; to the rear of the
Center, farthest from Conz Street.At our site visit in April, we observed there to be only a few
plantings of witch hazel, several of which appeared to be dead.
The rear boundary of the parking lot at which plantings can be placed is approximately 100 feet.
This excludes the bioretention area on the northern, Fruit Street side of the site. In accordance
with the condition, this will require at least 33 planting clusters. The Commission did not
require that a planting plan be approved in advance, so any combination of native shrubs and
trees is acceptable.
Some readily available native shrubs include Lowbush Blueberry, Allegheny Serviceberry, Witch
Hazel, American Hazelnut, Juniper and Bayberry. Trees include Balsam Fir, Sugar Maple,
various spruces, and Red Cedar. A variety of other options are available, but care should be
taken to ensure both that plantings are arranged in such a way to allow for growth, and that
plantings are selected that will not encroach on the parking lot and require ultimate removal.
27)Applicant must provide an invasive removal plan for the wetlands area, including
yearly maintenance for a minimum of five years.
The Commission has a memo in its files from a previous Community Development
Administrator stating that the City shall annually undertake removal of invasive plant species
from the edge of the parking lot, to 15 feet in depth to the edge of the wetland. This plan is
acceptable to the Commission, but it does not appear that invasive species removal has been
done.
Please let me know if you have any concerns about the Order.
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City of Northampton
Department of Public Works
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PERMIT
APPLICATION DECISION
Project /Site Name: Northampton Senior Center
Project Street or Location /Assessor ID: 81 Conz Street /Map 39A, Parce1001
Applicant Name: Northampton Housing Authority
Applicant Address/Phone: 47 Old South Street, Northampton, MA 01060 / 413-584-4030
Application Submission Date: 12/29/2006
THE FOLLOWING ACTION BY THE NORTHAMPTON DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
WORKS HAS BEEN TAKEN ON THIS APPLICATION BASED ON INFORMATION
PRESENTED:
_ _ _
Disapproval of the Stormwater Management Permit Application based on a
determination within seven days of the receipt of the application that the
application is administratively incomplete (see attached documentation).
Approval of the Stormwater Management Permit Application.
X Approval of the Stormwater Management Permit Application subject to any
conditions, modifications or restrictions required by the Department of
Public Works (see below)
Disapproval of the Stormwater Management Permit Application based upon
a determination that the proposed plan, as submitted, does not meet the
purposes set forth in the Northampton Stormwater Management.
Standard Permit Conditions:
1. All clearing, grading, drainage, construction, and development shall be conducted in
strict accordance with the following plans and information submitted with the application
and as amended by any conditions attached to this permit:
a. City of Northampton Senior Center Plans, Sheets SPR 1, SPR 5, SPR 8, and ECP
2 dated 15 December 2005, Sheet NOI dated 1/12/2006, and Sheet ECP 1 revised
1/18/2006, stamped by Mark B. Darnold, P.E., The Berkshire Design Group, Inc.
b. Application Packet for Stormwater Management Permit for the Northampton
Senior Center dated 12/29/2005, including Application, Stormwater Drainage
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Report & Calculations, Stormwater Management System Operation &
Maintenance Plan, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, Geotechnical Report,
and Test Pit Location Map and Results, stamped by Mark B. Darnold, P.E., The
Berkshire Design Group, Inc.
c. Proposed Stormwater Management System Operation & Maintenance Plan for the
Northampton Senior Center, dated 12/29/2005 (revised 1/19/2006).
2. The Northampton Department of Public Works (DPW) or its authorized representative
shall be provided access to the property to conduct inspections before, during, and after
construction activities as necessary. The applicant shall arrange with the DPW to
schedule the following inspections: Initial Inspection, Erosion Control Inspection, Bury
Inspection, and Final Inspection. The DPW may also conduct random inspections to
ensure effective control of erosion and sedimentation during all phases of construction.
3. Annual Reports that are stamped by a Registered Professional Engineer documenting the
actions completed as required by the Operation, Maintenance and Inspection Agreement
shall be submitted to the Northampton Department of Public Works by October 1St of
each year.
4. If construction of the proposed stormwater system has not started within five years of the
issue date of this permit, then the permit will expire and a new permit will be required.
Construction is defined as clearing, grading, excavation, filling, and installation of
drainage structures on the lots specified in this permit.
Specific Permit Conditions:
Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the applicant shall record an executed Stormwater
Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection Agreement that is binding on all subsequent
owners of land served by the private stormwater management facility by recording it in
the land records of the Registry of Deeds. This agreement shall be signed by the owner
and the Mayor of Northampton. Section 22-85 of the Northampton Stormwater
Management Ordinance provides additional guidance for the requirements of this
agreement. In addition to the maintenance tasks listed in the Proposed Stormwater
Management System Operation & Maintenance Plan revised 1/19/2006, the following
items must also be included in the Stormwater Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection
Agreement:
a. The applicant must provide documentation that the perforated infiltration trench
and bioretention areas continue to function as designed. After construction, the
infiltration trench and bioretention areas shall be inspected after every major
store (over 1 inch) for the first few months to ensure proper stabilization and
function. Thereafter, the infiltration trench and the bioretention areas shall be
inspected annually. In order to inspect the infiltration trench, observation wells
must be installed to determine how quickly the infiltration trench drains after a
store. The observation wells should be a perforated PVC pipe, 4-6" diameter,
extending to the bottom of the bed where it is connected to a footplate. It should
be capped and locked to prevent vandalism or tampering. Keep a record of
inspections, indicating the rate at which the facility dewaters and water depth'in
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the trench (if applicable). Monitor sediment buildup in the perforated pipe. Check
for clogging by looking for ponding or slow dewatering rates after significant
storms. The bioretention areas can be inspected at the surface. Ponded water
inside the infiltration trench (as visible from the observation well) or in the
bioretention areas 48 hours following the end of a storm event can indicate that
the bottom of the trench or bioretention basin is clogged. The owner is required to
repair, replace, or reconstruct the infiltration system and bioretention areas if they
fail to operate as designed. A system fails to operate as designed when water is
standing 48 hours or longer following a storm event greater than 1 inch over 24
hours. The inspection reports must be certified by a Registered Professional
Engineer and submitted to the Northampton Department of Public Works
annually as mentioned above.
b. The Bioretention Areas shall include the following additional maintenance
measures: Inspect and remove any sediment in the sediment forebays annually,
Mulch shall be replaced as needed and replaced for the entire area every 2-3
years, Inspect for erosion in the basin and at discharge points and repair and
reseed as necessary, Inspect inflow points and bioretention surface for build up of
road sand associated with spring melt period and remove as necessary and replant
areas that have been impacted by sand/salt buildup, and Inspect trees and shrubs
annually to evaluate their health and remove any dead or severely diseased
vegetation.
c. The proposed Subsurface Detention Tank shall be inspected annually and
sediment and debris shall be removed as necessary to maintain the design. function
of this system.
2. This project will be required to submit one or more Notice of Intent (NOI) to the U.S.
EPA for coverage under the NPDES Stormwater Construction General Permit. A copy of
the final NOI and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) shall be submitted to
the Northampton DPW prior to issuance of a building permit.
3. Before the site is graded, the area of the infiltration trench and the bioretention areas shall
be roped off and flagged to prevent heavy equipment from compacting the underlying
soils. The infiltration trench and bioretention areas shall not be used as temporary
sediment traps during construction, and sediment and runoff shall be diverted away from
these areas.
4. The Northampton DPW has concerns that the proposed Infiltration Trench on the West
side of the proposed building does not have adequate cover and may freeze during the
winter months causing the system to fail. The applicant has agreed to lower the depth of
the infiltration trench below the frost line and shall submitted a revised plan showing this
change for approval by the DPW. If the system, as proposed, fails to perform as designed,
the owner shall redesign, repair, and/or reconstruct the system for compliance with the
Northampton Stonnwater Management Ordinance.
5. The applicant shall install a rigid insulation board over the proposed 4 inch drain line
between the Pond on the South side of the proposed building and the Bioretention area in
the south western corner of the property.
6. The proposed bioretention areas shall not be used as dedicated snow storage areas.
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Signature of City E gineer ate
cc. Planning Board c/o Office of Planning and Development
Building Department
Conservation Commission c/o Office of Planning and Development
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