Old Lyme Conservation Commission Reviews Mile Creek Monitoring And Habitat Planning

OLD LYME, CT — The Conservation Commission received an update July 28 on continued monitoring of work at 308-1 Mile Creek Road, reviewed plans for environmental programs and deferred discussion of a townwide habitat and endangered-species inventory until September.

Wetlands Enforcement Officer Eric Knapp said monthly inspections will be conducted with the property owners at 308-1 Mile Creek Road to ensure work remains within the approved area and complies with the applicable wetlands permit. The permit is scheduled to expire in 2027, when its status will be reviewed.

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Knapp said the property owners had received a new surface-water discharge permit from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection after an earlier permit expired. The town learned of the new permit from the property owners on June 17. The commission requested copies of the permit and an enforcement action letter.

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One resident asked whether a washed-out culvert could be repaired without prior commission review. Knapp said emergency work could begin, but the activity would then fall under the commission's jurisdiction and require further review.

Commission members also reviewed their participation in the July 25 Old Lyme Midsummer Festival. The commission's booth at the Lyme Art Association included information on invasive plants, Estuary Magazine and the Connecticut River Gateway Commission.

The commission discussed possible environmental presentations for later in 2026, including programs involving a state wildlife biologist, Save the Sound's Long Island Soundkeeper and a presentation on riparian buffer protection. Members noted that programs generally must be planned at least three months in advance for advertising.

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The next Connecticut River Watershed presentation is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library and online. Stephen Gephard, a recently retired state fisheries biologist, is scheduled to discuss aquatic habitats. Attendance will be free, but registration will be required.

Members also revisited plans to add Microsoft Teams access to commission meetings beginning in September. Although the commission previously voted unanimously to begin using the platform, Vice Chair George Ryan raised concerns that routine recording could discourage candid discussion or make participants reluctant to share sensitive information. The issue was tabled until the commission's Sept. 1 meeting.

The commission also discussed the town's ongoing zoning regulation update and encouraged members to review materials from recent environmental workshops.

Discussion of an inventory and mapping project for endangered species, plant locations and local habitats was postponed because Open Space Commission representative Greg Futoma was unavailable. Ryan proposed that Futoma, Commission Chair Barbara Campbell and Old Lyme Land Trust representative Olaf Bertram-Nothnagel meet before Sept. 1 to develop priorities, measurable goals and possible areas of collaboration.

The meeting adjourned unanimously at 7:30 p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m.