Special Meeting of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency - August 18, 2026
Special Meeting of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency - August 18, 2026
Note: The agenda for this meeting originally listed the date as August 5, 2026, but the user-provided meeting date is August 18, 2026. This summary uses the user-provided date.
The meeting was called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance. All members were voting members. The agency discussed a new 76-unit multi-family development, a pending notice of violation, and various agency review items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public open forum for items not on the agenda.
Discussion Items
- Notice of Violation – Amy and Erik Peterson, 120 Chamberlain Hill Road: Chair Carta reported that the notice has not yet been served (by police or marshal) because the property owner refused. He stated that the owner allegedly filled the pond despite being told not to. No further action was taken; the matter is expected to proceed with police presence.
- New Business – 76-unit multi-family development (W2026-7): Richard Reynolds of Inland Land Design presented the project at 500 Washington Street, within the existing mobile home park. The proposal involves two multi-story residential buildings (56 one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom) on the north side, with parking, access drives, and stormwater management. No wetlands will be disturbed; work is limited to the upland review area. A stormwater management area on the east side will be excavated to the high groundwater line and planted as a wetland to compensate for fill placed in the floodplain. Existing structures and debris along the brook will be removed. The agency discussed floodplain issues, backwater flooding from the Coginchaug River, and benefits to downstream properties. A motion was made to accept the application and set a public hearing. Because the next regular meeting date (September 2) conflicts with a car show, the agency voted to cancel that meeting and schedule a special meeting on a date to be determined.
- Agency Review – Cromwell Warehouse Project: Environmental Planner James Sipperly reported receiving a notice from the Town of Cromwell about a proposed warehouse within 500 feet of the Middletown corporate border. The project is adjacent to an existing pond and about 100 feet from the Mattabesset River. He is reviewing the plans for potential comments. Another item on Randolph Road was briefly discussed; the city attorney has requested an updated observation letter to be sent certified.
- Communications – Pond and Lake Treatments: The agency noted upcoming treatments: Slider's Bar and Grill pond (Cypress Pond) on August 7; West Lake pond and Pistol Creek; Jonas Center Pond and Mattabesset River Coves (where hydrilla has been spotted). The treatment uses a calcium sulfate product. Chair Carta noted concerns about public notices for kayakers and said he would follow up with the treatment coordinator.
- Other Business: Member Jennifer reported progress on contacting the DPW about regulations; she will submit electronic notice soon. The Chamberlain Hill violation (above) was revisited.
Key Outcomes
- Application accepted for public hearing: The agency voted unanimously to accept application W2026-7 (76-unit development) and set a public hearing for a future date (special meeting to be scheduled).
- Minutes of July 1, 2026 approved: The minutes were approved with a correction of the name "Scoot O'Brien" to "Scott O'Brien." The vote was unanimous.
- Directives: Chair Carta and James Sipperly will draft an updated observation letter regarding the Randolph Road matter for the city attorney. Sipperly will also contact the pond treatment office about public notices.
- Next steps: The September 2 regular meeting is canceled; a special meeting date for the public hearing on the 76-unit development will be announced. The violation notice for the Peterson property will be served with police assistance.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, we talked 10 minutes. Okay. I'm not going to take away. Okay, believe me, uh like to call the honor of the uh August meeting of the Middle Town Midland Wetland water course agency. All our members are voting members tonight. We have the pledge of allegiance. A flag. We don't have a flag here. So we will put it on my phone. Defer at this one time. You can do it, but okay. Okay, but our item D is the public open forum. Are there any members of the public that would like to speak that items that are not on the agenda? No. No, okay. Oh, these are this is the old. Do we have anything on item D? What's that? The uh 20 changer on the hill. Oh no, we have we still have no this bit no update on that. We still gotta figure out what to do there. And uh it's been crazy our office. So no, no, no, no news on that. Okay, nothing under old business, no new business. We have one close construction already, 76 unit multi-family development within the up to the review area, applicant agent is Middletown Mobile Park, Mobile Home Park LLC. It's item W 2026-7. And we have anyone here to present anything. I'm here. Yeah, just well just over a quick overview. So um Richard Reynolds, uh in your land design. Um project's located 500 Washington Street uh sustaining uh mobile home park. Um the mobile home portion on the north side, all those mobile homes can be looking at the south side. The north side, we're gonna proposing two um multi-story residential buildings, total 76 units, um 56 one bedroom, 182 bedroom. Um there's no no wetlands uh proposed to be disturbed, we're just working in the upland. Um project we're required parking and access drives and um stormwater management. So we have a lotion train plans. Um so we have a full set of design plans. Um the one thing about the project is that we are restricted to work outside of the flood floodplain. There's a floodplain on property, so the proposed multi-store buildings are located outside the floodplain. Um we have some proposed garages that are good that are within the floodplain with bell fence and things like that. There's a flooding issue. Um other than that, um that's the quick so there's not gonna be any um floodplain mitigation because you're not so sorry. Yeah, so what we have on the plan is on the east side of the project, there's a stormwater management area, and it's going to become a um a wetland area. Um when we did soil testing out there, that the groundwater was kind of high about three or four feet down. So what we're planning to do is excavate that area down to where we field witness the um high ground water, so it will remain a weather situation and we're gonna plant it as a wetland, but with that excavation, it will compensate for the fill that we're putting in the floodplain down. And um that's really more of a zone issue. Yeah, it is, but the floodplain there. If the floodplain extends all the way across Palmer field, you know, and even on the I think no, I think it stays on the one side of um 66 that was but this is gonna help other this is gonna help other properties in this area with the flood stuff that they're gonna be doing on the site. So um, you know, I I feel that you know, because of all that stuff, um, you know, that they're not you know, they're not gonna be doing anything the weapons are close to the common shop river that we have public effects, you know. Yeah, yeah, and what's most important about this too is that we're moving all of the existing structures, all the mobile, all the sheds and on that northern piece, removing them further away from the brook then next to the coffee shop so that there'll be uh a lot less impacts.
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