1998-11-04· Don Martin, Chairman
Neiland Douglas, Icwe-Chairman
Norwood Pond Commission
Kevin Burke
Tina Cassidy
Bill Frost
Todd Lampert
David Lang
J. Michad Lawler
Virginia McGlynn-
Joyce McMahon
Bruce Nardella
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, November 4, 1998
Members present: Chairman Don Martin, Vice Chairman Neiland Douglas, Joyce
McMahon, David Lang, J. Michael Lawlet, Virginia McGlynn,
Todd Lalnpert, Tina Cassidy, Bill Frost, Kevin Burke. Also
Present: Frank Killilea, Engineering Director for the City, and
Paul Davis, Principal of Baystate Environmental, Inc.
Martin calls the meeting to order at 7:05 P.M. and asks if there are any members of the
public who would like to speak. Kathy Burock of the Brimbal Avenue Neighborhood
Association wants to know if and when there will be a public hearing to get input from
the community.
Cassidy responds there are no immediate plans for a formal public hearing. She states
that there are public comment periods at the beginning and end of each of the
Commission meetings for such input, but the Commission has not disscussed a formal
public hearing. She aiso states that ifthere is an organization ofresidents who are
concerned about specific issues, perhaps a special meeting could be arranged where those
residents could meet with several members of the Board. Burock responds it should be
more of a community-wide meeting so that all persons who would be affected by the
final recommendation would have an opportunity to address their concerns. Martin said
this matter will be taken under consideration.
Lang states that this was discussed earlier and members agreed that a hearing should
probably be held once the Commission's recommendations are formulated. He also
stresses there is no formal plan, just ideas at this time. Another member of the Brimbat
Avenue Neighborhood Association voices concerns about drainage, stating there are
already water problems on Brimbal Avenue. Killilea said the City is having drainage
studies done by Camp Dresser and McKee of the Brimbal Avenue area and expects the
design reports to be submitted to the City within a month, and that those reports will be
made public.
Martin asks for comments on the October 7, 1998 meeting minutes· Lang notes one
amendment to an item on page 4.
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November 4, 1998 meeting minutes
Page two
MeGlynn: Motion to accept the minutes of the October ,7, 1998 meeting minutes as
drafted, seconded by Lampert. All members in favor, motion carries.
A resident asks if the Commission will make available copies of past meeting minutes.
Cassidy says minutes, handouts, reports, maps, etc. are available in the Planning
Department. She is questioned about providing several hundred copies of each, and
advises the resident it would be better for him to have them reproduced at a copy center.
Don Martin introduces Paul Davis, Senior Environmental Scientist with Baystate
Environmental Consultants, Inc., who was contracted to perform a study of Norwood
Pond to develop some pond management recommendations.
Davis states elements of the contract are a) Watershed Investigation which looks at the
pond and its contents as well as everything surround it including depth, width, etc., b)
Morphometric Data, c) Hydrological Nutrient Budget, d) Biological Studies including
aquatic plants and phytoplankton, the water quality elements, both within the pond and its
incoming tributaries and any other things in the watershed which may be contributing to
problems in the pond, e) Sediment Analysis, f) Groundwater, and finally putting all the
information together and gaining input from the community which he hopes to be able to
do tonight because this would be helpful to analyze how the pond has changed. The
study is not complete so he will present the fieldwork, but the report should be finished
sometime in this calendar year.
Davis further states the watershed is 700 acres, which is not huge, but large enough to
give serious amount of flow over the course of a year. It gets nmofffrom the landfill and
two main tributaries are the Beaver Pond area and the North Shore Music Theater area.
Two smaller tributaries come from a small vernal pool off the highway to the Hasbro Toy
Corp and another gets storm water runoff from the North Shore Music Theater parking
lot. There is also a dam at the northern end, which is an outlet into O'Leary's Broolc.
Davis indicates that depth was measured in over one hundred locations in the pond and
the average depth is four and a half feet. Total volume of the pond is nine million cubic
feet, and the annual flow is estimated to be fifty-seven million cubic feet. Davis states he
did not see an intense alga problem but observed a fair amount of aquatic macrophites.
This was not so much in the central portions of the pond but mainly in the coves and
along the banks, so there is a variable condition in the pond. He shows a chart of several
different species, which are dominant.
With regard to water quality, Davis states that samples were taken on three occasions to
assess water quality in the pond. Not much turbidity was observed in the pond,
conductivity was in the low to moderate range, and alkalinity was on the lower end of the
scale, so there is not much buffering capacity. The pH was mostly neutral.
Norwood Pond Commission
November 4, 1998 meeting
Page three
Groundwater samples were taken in the Beaver Pond and North Short Music Theater
areas. The pH was atypical, as was dissolved oxygen. One important fact is that
sediments accumulate nutrients and phosphorous in the pond and can be released from
the bottom sediments when the bottom waters have no oxygen. So under conditions of
low oxygen in the bottom waters, phosphorous could have an influence on the total
nutrient factor of the lake. Chlorine was moderate, iron levels were high, ammonia was
quite high, total nitrogen was fairly high, and phosphorous levels are somewhat high, but
more to the moderite level. That's important because phosphorous is the limiting
nutrient in Norwood Pond. So in terms of pond management we really have to be
sensitive to new potential sources of phosphorous because there' s a substantial amount of
nitrogen there waiting to be used, and if phosphorous was increased, we could expect
some new problems to develop.
Finally, with regard to fecal coliform, which is a measure of bacteria, he did not see any
evidence of failed septic systems in the area with !eachate gging into the pond and does
not see any problem with contamination from the source. However, geese and ducks are
increasing in number especially in the upper areas, and some contamination could
possibly occur.
Basically, Davis thinks Norwood Pond is an exceptional pond. There's some nearby
residential development going on but overall it' s a natural pond setting, not atypical for
this type of pond. Norwood Pond doesn't seem to have too many nutrients in the water
from the watershed. It's relatively stable in the middle level, but a lot of nutrients in the
sediment, and that combined with the sediment coming in can contribute to the growth of
aquatic weeds which is something that needs to be considered in developing
recommendations for the pond. His closing thought on management is that anything we
can do to the watershed to limit the new introduction of nutrients could only help the
pond. There are management techniques such as hydraulic dredging. Chemical
treatment is not recommended, and weed harvesting is not recommended because it needs
to be done over and over again. Dredging will be a long-term solution, and that will be
discussed in the report.
Martin thanks Davis for attending and indicates he will be staying until the end of the
meeting if any residents have questions. He then introduces Joan Fairbanks who will
make a presentation on behalf of the Beverly Recreation Commission. Fairbanks
discusses the need for additional fields for growing sports such as lacrosse, soccer,
softball and co-ed softball. Existing fields are being over-used. At least three long fields,
two sixty-foot diamonds, and two ninety-foot diamonds are needed, as well as at least
200 parking spaces. Portable stands and bathroom facilities will also need to be
provided. She said that three years ago the cost for the fields was estimated to be
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November 4, 1998 meeting minutes
Page three
$450,000. Two large fields and three small fields could be available at Johnson Tree
Farm where the area is very flat and there is are relatively few trees to be removed.
Douglas asked about water and drainage, and Fairbanks replied that any field would need
irrigation. She again stressed overuse of the existing fields, and indicates that as a result
there is no growing time for the land to recover from season to season.
She also discusses the need for lit fields to be used at night. Douglas notes there was a
large tract offand behind the North Beverly School owned by the City. Lang asked about
the old Henderson property. Director of Constituent Services Tom Scully indicates there
was a proposal to build an ice Arena up there, but did not know how much of the land it
would encompass. Fairbanks states that that parcel would be a great spot for an adult
field with lights because it could be used for three games a night, which would triple the
land use. There are no neighbors in the immediate area who would be inconvenienced by
it.
Douglas states the Commission needs more information and,details from the Recreation
Department regarding irrigation of the fields and the effect 6n Norwood Pond. Fairbanks
said all the fertilizers are organic and wouldn't have any effect unless you were going to
put it right next to the pond. Lang questions the use of pesticides to control weeds.
Douglas reiterated that the plan shows three long fields, two sixty-foot diamonds and the
ninety-foot diamond, to which Fairbanks agreed. This plan was developed a number of
years ago by the former Public Works Director, and may be useful to the Commission' s
efforts.
Next, Martin introduces Frank Killilea for an update on the landfill closure plan. Killilea
states that he spoke with the consultants Malcolm Pintie who confirmed that the earlier
report on the three types of landfills did reflect DEP's latest philosophy. DEP has relaxed
its policies somewhat over the past years in terms of what they will allow if a community
wants recreational uses on top of a landfill. However, it's really based on the municipality
having to prove that it is proper in that you have to do a lot of risk analyses, a lot of
testing, and be subject to whatever DEP rules are in effect in that period of time. Our
problem now in the landfill is that we have high gas production. So we basically have to
sample the entire thirty acres. Malcolm Pirnie's recommendation to the Commission on
the use of the site was that you would need to install an active piped gas collection
system underneath the thermogeotetic fiber, and also have to have a very rigorous on-
going sampling process. Malcolm Pirnie continues to be of the opinion that the cost of
active recreation is approximately one million dollars cost over and above the landfill
closure costs as they stated to you in the earlier presentation. DEP has changed from
saying you can't do it to saying you can do it if you can prove you don't have these
conditions, and you will have to sample and bear the cost of all those samples as long as
yoU're using the facility forthat purpose. Burke asks if all sections were subject to the
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November 4, 1998 meeting minutes
Page four
Same levels of risk, and Killilea states there are hot spots all around the thirty acres.
There's not just one hot spot in the north or south end. They're coming through the entire
thirty acres. Once the City caps the landfill it has to replicate wetlands around the
perimeter and that' s going to take up some space right there. The area is pretty heavy
terrain, and it's not fiat. It's quite a grade. Burke asks about property adjacent to the
school and wants to know if that is usable at all, and Ki!lilca says it's all pretty much
downgrade. Lang asks if the consultants are indicating that both a risk analysis and
active flare system will be required. Killilea responds that the $1 million is for both the
piping for the gas, the flare and also the risk analysis and that Malcolm Pirnie is saying
that DEP is going to let you put in the piping system and flare and make you continue to
do risk analyses as long as you're using the field for a playing field.
Killilea said they submitted a plan to DEP on October 15, 1998 to cap the landfill for
passive recreation and nature trails over the landfill. That plan is being evaluated by
them now. He stresses a very strict deadline for having the landfill capped by November
1999. Significant monetary penalties are involved and we can't have any more delays.
Martin asks for public comment at this time.
Larry Glass of Brimbal Hill Drive stated he was confused about the recommendation to
use the landfill for recreational facilities and Douglas states the Calmmission
recommended passive recreation use of the property and discussed the possibility of
adding recreational facilities along with treatment and consideration of the landfdl itself.
Glass asks Davis what the prognosis might be with regard to the integrity of the entire
watershed area itself and wants to know of any estimated potential damage. Davis
reiterated that Norwood Pond is fairly sensitive to nutrients, and to the extent that any
development that happens in the perimeter of the watershed at Norwood Pond contributes
to the phosphorous, we can expect a response by the pond which will be in the negative
in that there would be more plant growth, more than what we have now. Lang mentions
that it will be difficult to control runoff from the fields. Glass asks whether increased
traffic will release more gases into the area and cause damage to the watershed. Davis
states more direct runoff in a shorter time could be a problem, but if development is done
properly, and that means controlling the density of the development, you can have
development without causing a problem. Douglas adds that the area behind the school is
not in the Norwood Pond watershed, and it would drain to the north, not into the
Norwood Pond area. Martin states this Commission was formed to look into reuse for the
Norwood Pond property.
Martin recognizes Burock who repeats the need for a public hearing. She states the
Neighborhood Association talked about the proposed soccer fields and had a meeting
with Mike Cabill.
Norwood Pond Commission
November 4, 1998 meeting minutes
Page five
A Putnam Street resident was concerned, stating there was going to be a new parking lot
for the school and with the increasing traffic, people will be using that parking lot all
weekend, so that any traffic is going to end up in that lot and go down Putnam Street.
Richard Roundy states he has suffered with the traffic from the North Shore Music
Theater for 38 odd years and with regard to the overpass, he can see no way to support
spending five million dollars for an overpass that only moves traffic problems down
Brimbal Avenue to another location unless that overpass is designed to include getting on
and off Route 128. He mentions using $1 million to prnpedy cap the landfill to use for
an active recreational facility, and says the Commission should endeavor to get that extra
one million dollars to cap the landfill.
Martin reminds members that the next Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday
December 2, 1998 at 7:00 P.M.
McMahon: motion to adjourn, seconded by Lang. All members in favor motion
carries. Meeting is adjourned at 9:10 P.M.