By David Fortier

A group of over 25 people learned about a proposed development on Perkins Street that would bring 16 new houses to an area that they have concerns about– a carve out of the Hoppers-Birge Pond Preserve, which has both environmental and geological significance.

“It’s a throwback to another time, another age,” said Friends of the Hoppers-Birge Pond Preserve president Michelle Rudy, about the site, which is considered part of a core forest, supports unique wildlife, has frequently used trails and contains unique geological structures dating back to the Ice Age.

Rudy opened the Wednesday, July 10 meeting at the Bristol Historical Society with a PowerPoint presentation, entitled, “Understanding Wetlands Application 2034 Site Plans.”

She was followed by Craig Minor, a certified city planner, who discussed the proposal, and the evening ended with a brief Q & A session about concerns and next steps for taking on the proposal.

Rudy’s presentation covered a history of the Hoppers-Birge Pond Nature Preserve and the City’s Dog park, how it is considered a core forest, its unique characteristics, its endangered wildlife and threatened species, its topography, including the uniquely formed kettles, and its trail system that has been in place for decades and its stream on the west side of the property being considered for development.

Regarding a kettle, one of the geological formations from the Ice Age, she said, “”How you value it depends on your point of view,” reading from the PowerPoint.

A developer might see it as “a source of sand and gravel and an obstacle which needs to be flattened,” she said, following the PowerPoint.

A hunter might see a kettle as an aid in the hunt, she said, citing examples from Native Americans, it is said, who would round up prey in one to make for an easy hunt.

A geologist might see it as a window into the past, gaining “insights into how landscapes were formed in the last Ice Age, where the driving force behind landscape change was not humans, but natural forces.”

The proposed site plan being referred to is one submitted as part of an inland wetlands application by P & B Properties at the commission’s July 1 meeting. The original plan was deemed incomplete and is being amended to include wetlands that appear on the city wetlands map, but which no longer qualifies as wetlands, according to the builder.

Prior to its purchase, the land in question belonged to the Schaffrick family. The P & B purchase was completed in late February for $400,000.

While an inlands wetlands application does not need to provide details beyond its handling of wetlands, the builder behind the project decided it would be better for people to see where the project is going, the scope of the project and details. See TBE article discussing the project with the builder and land surveyor. Click here.

In total, the proposal concerns almost 11 acres of privately owned land abutting the Hoppers-Birge Pond Nature Preserve, which is 185 acres of forested land, according to Rudy’s presentation, and an additional 85 acres of grass and shrubland that comprises the city’s dog park which abuts the property.

The amended application will come before the commission sometime early in August, either at its regular monthly meeting or at a special meeting.

The only detail that falls under the purview of the inland wetlands commission is the stream, and how the developers intend to deal with it.

In her presentation, Rudy also addressed the nature of a core forest, in this instance, defined in the presentation as a “continuous forested area under 250 acres in size — an island in the sea of suburbia.”

Forests, the presentation states, help protect water resources, including wells by improving water quality and reducing costs for treatment. In addition, they mitigate climate change and clean the air, while promoting recreation.

Benefits to species in the area, from bird life to varieties of plant life and trees, involve providing a more stable environment that protects biodiversity.

The group is working on identifying species in the area that might be considered endangered, she said.

In Connecticut, according to Rudy, The Governor’s Council on Climate Change’s Forest subgroup presents “a case for the high importance of forests and recommends ‘no net loss of forest’ policy.'”

Minor focused on the brook that runs through the property, which triggered the wetlands application, and the proposed bridge spanning the stream that would also be used for the sand and gravel operation prior to any construction.

“I am not convinced that they have designed it [the bridge] satisfactorily to protect the stream,” he said.

In addition, he said, the proposal does not include the locations of wells on neighboring properties along Perkins Street but conceded that wetlands might not be the place to strike up a protest.

However, the sand and gravel operation alone, he said, would require removing tons and tons of earth from the site, involving hundreds, if not more, of trips by trucks in and out of the property over an extended amount of time, and that itself would have to be considered when the plan reached Zoning.

Concerns from members of the audience ranged from the trucking operation to ecological concerns, concerns dealing with the impact of the changes on private well systems and the diminishment of forested area.

Next steps would involve community action, perhaps, revolving around the city’s Plan of Conservation Development (POCD), which provides guidelines for conserving Bristol’s natural resources and a framework for consistent decision-making. For an online copy of the POCD, click here.

The Friends of the Hoppers-Birge Pond Preserve Facebook page can be reached by clicking here.

---

All TBE readers, supporters and donors                

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

• Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
• Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
• Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.                

Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.