WESTFIELD – The Conservation Commission last night conditionally approved a compensatory storage plan submitted by F.L. Roberts for its 90 South Maple Street facility.
The condition attached to the Roberts’ petition is that it will require additional approval by the state National Heritage and Endangered Species Program because the proposed site of the compensatory plan is within land designated as endangered species habitat.
The plan is being required because of two islands constructed to accept payment at the Roberts’ car wash facility and an area, which was dug up to install electrical and communication wires, needed to be repaved.
The Conservation Department issued an enforcement order halting further work because the construction site is in a flood plain.
Last night Filipe Cravo of R. Levesque Associates presented a plan to floodwater storage in a nearby part of the property.
“We’re providing 142 cubic feet of comp storage some of it in a Natural Heritage area,” Cravo said. “Our office did a (topography assessment) of the property. The plan provides a net surplus of 8.8 cubic feet.”
The excavated area for the new compensatory storage area will be stabilized with erosion controls and seeded following the work, which, the commission said, cannot be initiated until the state agency approves that action in the priority habitat area.
Commissioner Thomas Sharp said that he “cringes when an applicant asks (to begin work) before another regulatory agency reviews the project.”
Cravo said the area is currently “a clear-cut lawn that provides no habitat. In previous dealing with (Natural Heritage) we have been allowed to do this.”
Sharp said the proposed project area will continue to be under a commission enforcement area.
In other business the commission was presented details of another enforcement order issued to Devcon Enterprises, the management arm of the owners of the Westfield Shops. The enforcement ordered was issued for repaving a section of the entrance to the plaza located off East Main Street.
The Conservation Commission issued the enforcement order because the plaza is in a flood plain, which requires compensatory storage for displaced floodwater storage.
Jon Goddard of R. Levesque Associates, representing the management company, requested the commission to continue the hearing to its Sept. 24 session while records are examined to determine how much, if any, compensatory storage is needed to bring the plaza into compliance.
Goddard said that work was done in 1998 to the plaza that provided a 550 cubic feet compensatory storage surplus at the same elevation as the plaza entrance and that the new paving displaces 720 feet of floodwater.
“The paved area exceeds that compensatory storage requirement by 210 cubic feet,” Goddard said. “We are requesting two additional weeks to coordinate with Devcon Management.”
