Middlebury Pond on Mirey Dam Road to be Restored

The Middlebury Conservation Commission spent the significant portion of its November 30 meeting discussing two applications. One was for the dredging and improvement of a pond off Aunt Olive Rd. and the other a re-construction of a boathouse and sea wall on Lake Quassapaug.

The Quinnipiac Game Association presented a plan to dredge and restore a 3-acre pond on Mirey Dam Rd. Paul Lupina, representing the Game Association, stated that it has owned the pond since 1959 and that it was once used for boating and fishing.

Years of erosion have filled the pond with silt, rendering it uninhabitable by fish and most other wildlife. The pond was dredged several years ago in an attempt to improve the condition of the pond, however, those efforts failed, necessitating the current project.

"The pond is not working for us at this point," Lupina explained to the commission. "What we're going to do is restore it back to the original depths, restock it with fish and use it for boating and fishing.

He explained that excavation is slated to take place next year, to be completed by December, 2011.

Commission members inquired as to how the water would be removed and what, if any, effect it would have on the surrounding properties. The application calls for pond materials to be removed and trucked out via Aunt Olive Rd. to a destination in Watertown, CT. Water would be gradually drained into   nearby wetlands.

Lupina explained that the original depth of the pond was 28 feet and that it is now approximately two to five feet during the summer. The goal is to excavate it back to its original depth in an attempt to restore the original setting with an improved habitat for fish and wildlife.

"It's all about responsibility," stated Commission Chairman, Paul Bowler, referring to the obligation to confirm that the work is done in accordance to the application and in respect to the habitat and surrounding property owners. "We'd be lax in our duties if we did anything [else]."

The commission approved the application on the condition that surrounding landowners submit letters of approval for the project. They also waved the application fee for, reasoning that it is an improvement of the natural habitat.

"This is something that is clearly going to be an improvement on an existing man-made pond," Mr. Bowler added, suggesting it would help save the applicant in engineering fees. The commission voted unanimously to approve the application on the condition of the submission of additional details and approval of surrounding property owners.

New, larger, boathouse to be constructed

In other business, the application on Bristol Rd. includes the construction of a larger boathouse to replace a smaller, older one and to repair the man-made sea wall surrounding it damaged by erosion and encroaching trees.

"We're improving the site," stated Scott Meyers of Meyers Associates, the surveying contractor for the project.

The project involves the removal of several white birch trees and subsequent replanting of two new ones. Commission members were concerned with the lack of details of the foundation and construction of the new boathouse and stipulated that those plans be submitted before final approval of the application.

Wetlands Plantings on Park Road

In other discussion, wetlands plantings on 329 Park Rd., as required by the commission at a previous meeting, were reviewed and the commission set forth the stipulation that several more plantings be made before final approval.

The next meeting of the Conservation Commission will take place on December 28 at 7 p.m.