The third and final night of the Inland Wetlands Board public hearing on Eureka's proposed wetlands crossings took place on Tuesday, March 7. The three hour hearing enabled ROSA members to present significant arguments against the application and to respond to new material submitted by Eureka at the February 1 hearing. Throughout the evening, members of the IWB listened carefully to the information presented, and asked the Eureka representatives some very difficult and pointed questions regarding the applicability of various state statutes to the proposed wetlands crossings, upland review areas, and the responsibilities of the Board regarding wetland protection.

Highlights of the presentations last night:

• George Orlan read a letter on behalf of the Ridgefield Conservation Commission which recommended that the application be denied. We are very grateful for the efforts of the RCC in so carefully evaluating the application.

• Redding Conservation Commission member Vic DeMasi discussed the importance of the Bennett's Pond property and its wetlands to the region, and criticized the lack of detailed information in Eureka's wildlife survey.
  

• Pat Sesto responded to Eureka's recent submissions and presented a copy of a letter written by one of their engineers which argued for larger wetland buffers than those proposed in the Bennett's Pond application. The letter had been written in response to a subdivision application in Stamford in which the engineer was representing a neighborhood opposition group, and not the developer.

• Debby Mandelbaum discussed the ecological importance of the Bennett's Pond wetland system and refuted the applicant's argument that it was no more important than any other wetland in the area.

• Scott Sharlow presented the results of a vernal pool study he conducted with Vic DeMasi and noted herpetologist Dr. Michael Klemens which indicated that, based upon the animal life they support, the vernal pools in the area are of high quality.
  

• Bob Kleinberg presented an excellent summary in which he called the wetlands permit application "the thin edge of a wedge" - an effort to obtain approval for road construction which would sever the property from the open space to the north, thus reducing the entire property's value as open space and opening the way for large-scale development on the remainder of the property.

Other ROSA members who significantly contributed to last night's effort included Al Baker, Sarah Felice, Eric Kristoffersen, and Pete Stewart. ROSA's attorney, Frank Cochran, concluded by stating that the "no build" option was the feasible and prudent alternative that the IWB should consider in their deliberations. He stated that the potential damage to the environment from the wetlands crossings and road construction far outweighed the economic benefit to be derived from the construction of roads to access 13 residential lots.

The public hearing was closed, and the IWB now has 35 days to render its decision.

Ellen Burns
Ridgefield Open Space Association