[Denis MacDougall]: Notice of intent, 171 Arlington Street, continued from September 17th, 2025. Alexander Wong-Berman, a bridge of the shortened notice of intent, to construct an addition to the rear of the house and add a deck at 171 Arlington Street within the 200-foot road front area, borderline subject to flooding and 100-foot buffer zone to the top of Bank of Medford Mass. And...
[Heidi Davis]: So we received some additional information, including the construction and post-construction operation and maintenance manual, as well as a revised plan showing the correct location of the trees. Does anybody on the commission have any comments or questions regarding the revised material or any other aspect of the filing? No.
[Jeremy Martin]: I don't either. And I also reviewed the plant list that he provided and didn't have any, you know, take any exception to that either. Thanks for reminding me that there was a revised plant list.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: I don't either.
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: Nothing from me. Thank you.
[Denis MacDougall]: And the email I got from Craig, he said as well, he has no comments. based on what was submitted.
[Heidi Davis]: Prove this project with conditions. Would they be similar to 173 Arlington, or would there be any changes? Do they both have subsurface infiltration? Yes. I can't remember.
[Denis MacDougall]: I don't have the other plans. I only have these plans in front of me. They're remarkably similar. I think the only really additional condition we added was to any vegetation other than the lawn should be native. That was the only additional one that we added for 173. So we could add that as well, which, I mean, given the list to be provided, I think that's... I'm sorry.
[Heidi Davis]: That was a question for discussion. Oh, sorry. Well, maybe there is no discussion. But Dennis, I'm asking, is there also subsurface infiltration for 173 Arlington?
[Denis MacDougall]: Yes, correct. There is. Yep. Sorry. Yep. It's entirely possible I nodded without thinking I said yes without actually saying yes.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: And is the playlist on the plan or is that a separate document that came in an email in the email that I forwarded to you all?
[Denis MacDougall]: It had a list of the body of the body of the email. I'll read them off the record though. Maybe just to have them. Yeah. Wild bergamot button, bush, winter, holly berry, milkweed, cardinal flower, sweet pepper, bush, honeysuckle and dogwoods.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: Sounds good.
[Jeremy Martin]: And Dennis, did we, with certainty, apply the condition about native plants being a requirement on the other project? Yes.
[Heather]: Well, I think we've been pretty consistent on both.
[Denis MacDougall]: Yeah. So I think, I mean, they are such remarkably similar projects that really the only difference was that. list that I can basically say, you know, the following plants from the, from, you know, Shelby from this list and just list them all.
[Heidi Davis]: Sure, or you can just include the plant list in the citations. Okay, oh yeah, that's true.
[Jeremy Martin]: I'll say just for maybe another perspective, I'm glad that we got the additional information from this applicant to confirm what we needed to confirm. I will say, I think they demonstrated that they've taken some steps to protect the existing trees and things like that, unprompted by us, which is good. I'd be comfortable with giving them some latitude on the plant list and just including the condition that it be a native, you know, that they select native plants or that they even prioritize native plants. I do think we should be consistent. I think if we were strict about native plants only, we wouldn't have any lilacs or hydrangeas or a lot of other things in our gardens. And so when it's in somebody's yard, I feel like giving them a little bit more latitude is reasonable. But in this case, let's keep the native plant. I would advocate for keeping the native plant requirement, but not limiting them to the list that they provided only.
[Heather]: This fellow definitely did his homework and attempted to come as prepared as possible.
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: Perhaps then, Jeremy, we reference vascular plants in Massachusetts or the USDA plant list, something specific for them to reference? Or is that too pedantic?
[Jeremy Martin]: No. I am not sure what the most comprehensive native plants catalog for the state would be. But I'm on board with referencing something to guide that.
[Heidi Davis]: Okay. So I've heard two different things. One is that we should provide some latitude because it's a yard, and the other one is limiting it to native plants only. Yeah.
[Jeremy Martin]: Sorry, Heidi. I jumped around a little bit in my thought. I think for the sake of consistency in this application, because it is next door and it's a very similar project, we should maintain the same requirement for the two projects. What I should have said is when we evaluate these in the future, let's think about the implications of applying a native only requirement. In certain situations, I think that there can be some more latitude beyond that. But in this case, I think consistency is good. Great. Thank you for clarifying that.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: And Dennis, have you written the order of conditions for 173 yet?
[Denis MacDougall]: I did, and then I was out. So I'm glad you kind of reminded me. I'll send it out to you tomorrow.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: Can you read us the language is it simply it's very yeah.
[Denis MacDougall]: I just sort of took it from the meeting. It's. Yeah, just any vegetation other than the 1 shall be native. vegetation, that sort of thing. Basically, that sort of... Native species would be a good... Native species, yeah. Sorry.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: Okay. I'm happy with that language to be inserted into this order of conditions. I'm fine.
[Denis MacDougall]: I agree. Great.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: Do I have a motion? I'll make a motion to approve the abbreviated notice of intent for 171 Arlington Street with the one additional special condition that all vegetation other than the grass be a native species.
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: I'll second that.
[Heidi Davis]: Great motion, by the way. All in favor? Eric?
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: Aye.
[Heidi Davis]: Jeremy? Aye. Heather? Aye. Caroline, I, and myself as an I. Okay.
[Denis MacDougall]: So, that's pretty much, I'm trying to think, while I was out, One of the interns told me that we did get a call from someone who is going to be filing something, but I didn't get any further information. They just asked about our schedule and where the app would see info on the city's website, and they were told yes, so they said they'll contact me if anything's going to come further. I also did get an email from a gentleman on West Street who is interested in doing work on an existing property there. Um, which is along the river, so, um, but he's going to come in and sort of show me what he's thinking and then sort of go over what is and isn't allowed and the likelihood of needing at the very least and RDA more likely. And I don't know why.
[Heather]: So our next meeting is on the 15th, and I thought that you thought we would have some business?
[Denis MacDougall]: I thought we were going to get a filing for, we still might if we get it today, but I doubt it. But up at Wright's Pond, they're basically removing the existing benches and putting in new benches, which involves just basically removing these ones and putting the new ones in with pads for the existing benches.
[Heather]: Was today the last day that it could be submitted for the 15th?
[Denis MacDougall]: Pretty much. If it comes in tomorrow, I could still get it in.
[Heather]: I have a selfish reason for asking. Okay. If it isn't, can you let me know?
[Denis MacDougall]: Yeah.
[Heather]: Because I can go out to dinner that night.
[Denis MacDougall]: Thank you very much. I think you're fine. Because they haven't contacted me with any follow-ups. I sent them all the info before I was out, and they haven't come back with anything. But because it's a city project, I tend to try to give them a little more leeway in terms of getting on the agenda if they can.
[Heather]: OK, great. But if you need it, no problem. I can do it tonight. Thank you.
[Heidi Davis]: I'm also I'll also go ahead and go ahead. I'll be driving back from Vermont that day. So.
[Heather]: Okay, a beautiful time driving back.
[Jeremy Martin]: Selfishly, if we can avoid a meeting on the 15th, so we do, we have our 1st CPC applicant presentation presentation for our grant cycle on the 14th and that's anticipated to be a 4 hour meeting.
[Denis MacDougall]: So, if we can, I think in that case, even if they do bring it in, I think we can push it to the next.
[Jeremy Martin]: Replacing benches sounds like a very straightforward thing. And if we have to fit it in, we'll make it work.
[Denis MacDougall]: But I think given that we have three of y'all having potential conflicts and other things, I don't see any reason why we need to push it.
[Heather]: So does that put us at the 29th? Oh, no, the 1st Wednesday.
[Denis MacDougall]: Well, I think in this case, we might potentially maybe do the 29th or the possibly the 22nd holiday thing we're getting into to 5 Wednesday 5 Wednesday months are a little bit screwy with our schedule.
[Heidi Davis]: I'm going to block it out. Just me. Dennis, going back to West Street and not to beat a dead horse, but if it's work within the rural front area, please remember that it requires.
[Denis MacDougall]: Yes, ma'am. I won't say I've learned my lesson, but I've learned my lesson. January 1st, it's like, you know, it's a reset and everything just starts starts from. You know, the counter goes back down and then it's been this many days with Dennis remembering that. So. But amazingly respond isn't respond is just a buffer zone. So that I didn't figure that. So that is good for there because that's what I was going over the procedures with them. And like, you can just do an RDA for that.
[Heidi Davis]: So I have a slight preference for the 22nd over the 29th. Okay. Just if possible.
[Heather]: Hang on.
[Denis MacDougall]: Actually, I do too, because I have a zoning board meeting on the 30th, so back-to-back meetings are in the evenings.
[Heather]: I can do the 22nd if we need to move it to the 22nd right now.
[Denis MacDougall]: I'll let you know. I'm going to contact them and just sort of see where they are, and hopefully we can just get that on here. I believe that is it. And I know I did promise to get you meeting minutes, but I was unavailable to do really much of anything last week. But especially since we don't have a meeting in two weeks, I have time to get on them. Excellent.
[Heidi Davis]: And one more item. We have a potential new member. Yes. How exciting. Yeah.
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: Did you get a chance to speak with her, Dennis?
[Denis MacDougall]: I responded to that email and said, can you get back in touch with me? I haven't heard back. But I assume they're just trying to work on their schedule.
[Jeremy Martin]: OK. Yeah. Well, and I have a lead on someone else who may be interested if that does or doesn't work out. Oh, wait. Never mind.
[Denis MacDougall]: She actually did just reply earlier today, and I didn't see it. So yes. OK, never mind. I'll reply to her right now. So OK, good. I literally was like, I'm just looking for an email from just, oh, there's, there it is there. So yeah, it came in. So I will respond right now.
[Heidi Davis]: Great. We can always cultivate somebody else too. Yeah, sure. Sorry, go ahead. We can have seven members, I believe. Yes. I can't recall. Caroline, you might know better how many members total.
[EO-vAhUJAKo_SPEAKER_18]: I think it depends what our, charter ordinance does. But we can have alternates too.
[Denis MacDougall]: Yes, that's true. Our listing is seven with as many alternates as we really want. I think it's an eliminated because alternates aren't voting, but they can participate.
[Jeremy Martin]: The guy that I've been talking to works for the State Department of Health and he's a mapping expert. I think he's got some some skills adjacent to what we do, but may not be the ideal commissioner. But anyway.
[Denis MacDougall]: Even with that, there's other boards and commissions that might be a good fit as well. So it never hurts to sort of throw in the application and sort of express interest and things like that. So yeah.
[Heidi Davis]: Jeremy, will this be your first grant round with the CPC or second? First. Oh, yeah. Yes.
[Jeremy Martin]: It's a lot to take in It is but I've been enjoying it and I tabled with them or for them at the Mystic River celebration last weekend, and I think I will again either this weekend at Tufts Community Day or in a couple weekends at the Harvester Energy Fest and that that's been fun getting to talk about it some and meet people at the Mystic Fest all of the Candidates for city council and school committee were all there, so I got to interface with them some as well, which was enjoyable.
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: Thanks for doing that, Jeremy. That's awesome.
[Heidi Davis]: It's a huge taking one for the team.
[Jeremy Martin]: Happy to. And Dennis, you mentioned a get together. Do we want to try to nail down a date for that? Have we missed our window for this fall? Absolutely not.
[Heidi Davis]: We were kind of waiting to see if we were really getting another board member. So I'll try again. send me a few dates and I'll sort of send it out to the yeah I think we all said Wednesdays are the best yeah but if we're we're already looking at November if we uh if we don't end up needing to meet on the 22nd that would be a good day could that be a possibility yeah or we could meet really fast I mean I'll be on the same zoom screen
[Denis MacDougall]: If the filing is what it's supposed to be without any surprises, and I'm not trying to jinx anything in the slightest, it should be a reasonably brief meeting. That's also a definite possibility.
[Heidi Davis]: Okay. Let's pencil it in one way or the other on the 22nd.
[Heather]: Do we need a motion to close? Yes. Yes. I make such a motion to close the meeting.
[MCM00001777_SPEAKER_08]: Second that.
[Heather]: Great. All in favor? Eric?
[Heidi Davis]: Aye. Jeremy? Aye. Heather? Aye. Caroline? Aye. And myself as an aye. Fastest hearing ever. Wow. Almost.
[Denis MacDougall]: Take care. Thank you all very much.
[Heidi Davis]: All right. Enjoy the way back to soon. Bye.