The Coventry Conservation Commission voted, at its June 11 meeting, to draft a letter asking the Planning Commission and the Town Council to give it earlier and more consistent access to development proposals, according to the panel's published meeting recording.
Under the town's current code, contained in Chapter 15 of the town's ordinances, the Conservation Commission acts only in an "advisory capacity" to the Town Council and town manager. It has no independent authority to place a pending development project on its own agenda. A member of the town's planning staff who attended the meeting to walk commissioners through the rules explained that other boards, such as the Planning Commission, are required to notify the Conservation Commission of proposals only when those boards themselves believe natural resources are a concern — meaning the commission currently has to wait to be asked.
Commissioners said that arrangement leaves them unable to weigh in on many projects before they are approved, particularly smaller subdivisions that clear zoning and planning requirements in a single meeting. One member offered a hypothetical example: a small subdivision that meets all setback and zoning rules but sits near soils prone to heavy runoff close to a wetland area. Under the current process, the commission would have no chance to suggest a simple, low-cost fix, such as a drainage swale, before the project is approved.
Local sponsorWorld-class website design at a small business priceCompany 50The planning official said the town's review calendar — which runs from a Technical Review Committee meeting roughly nine days before each Planning Commission meeting — could potentially give the Conservation Commission a similar window to weigh in, but cautioned that timing, workload, and state-mandated review deadlines would all need to be worked out. He suggested the Planning Commission weigh in first, since it would likely be asked by the Town Council for its opinion on any code change.
By voice vote, commissioners agreed to have a member draft a letter laying out their request, to be presented to both the Planning Commission at its June 22 meeting and the Town Council at its June 23 meeting. In a second voice vote, they authorized two commission members to appear at those meetings on the panel's behalf. The commission also plans to ask the Town Council to expand its membership from five to seven.
Lake and pond updates
Commissioners also received brief updates on several town water bodies. At Upper Dam Pond, an association-run fishing tournament drew about 50 children, and the pond received its second herbicide treatment this season to control weeds; the roughly $20,000 cost will be reimbursed by the town after an invoice is submitted following July 1, per guidance from the town manager.
At Tiogue Lake, commissioners described a contentious Town Council meeting over jet ski complaints, including personal watercraft pulling up on the beach. The town has since agreed to station an inspector at the boat ramp to check registrations, and the parks department has put new rules in place.
At Johnson's Pond, a resident identified as Steve Reilly independently wrote a request-for-proposals document for a lake management plan, which commissioners described as thorough and professional. The item was expected to go before the town's redevelopment agency last month but did not, because that board lacked a quorum.
Grant applications
Commissioners reviewed several grant opportunities. They voted by voice to authorize a member, Miles Provost, to draft a letter of interest for a Tomberg Family Philanthropies grant, with an application deadline of July 1, and to submit it through the commission's administrative staff for formal letterhead. They opted not to pursue a FEMA flood-mitigation grant with an August 6 deadline, citing insufficient time to identify a specific project, and tabled a Southern New England Program storm water technical-assistance grant, due July 15, after concluding the commission lacks the staff time to complete the application within a month. A separate state clean-water infrastructure fund was flagged for further research but no application was drafted.
What's next
The commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for July 9, when a state wildlife official is expected to give a presentation on invasive land plant species. Commissioners also said they intend to raise, separately, whether future development approvals could require removal of invasive plants such as Norway maple or burning bush from property buffers — a question they plan to discuss further with town planning staff.