Wetlands Approves Path Change

By Susan MacEachron

Swapping a boardwalk for a gravel path between City Meadow and the proposed new firehouse, elimination of a manmade pond and the installation of a drain pipe without a wetlands permit were the major matters addressed at the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting on Sept. 7.

Inland Wetlands had approved a boardwalk from the existing meadow path to the firehouse parking area at 20 Shepard Road in 2023. But First Selectman Matt Riiska explained the proposed change to a hard-pack gravel path would save $55,000 in construction costs. This change was one of several adjustments to the firehouse budget described by Riiska, but the only one that required approval by Wetlands. The change was approved unanimously.

Mathew Goldsmith, from Chippanee Construction, presented plans to fill in a manmade pond at 205 Litchfield Road. He said the pond does not retain water and depends upon a well on the property to keep it full. He said the house is served by town water and sewer. Northcon Properties LLC acquired the property in December 2022, and Goldsmith said the new owners are doing extensive renovations. He works for the general contractor.

Wetlands Chair Hartley Mead noted that most of the property is designated as forest land and said that more information was needed to determine whether the pond is in designated forest land. Mead said it was irrelevant that the pond was manmade, since it now constitutes wetlands. The matter was postponed to the October meeting.

Andrew Berger of 177 Estey Road attended the meeting via zoom to address a May 2025 enforcement letter from Wetlands Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik. Berger installed a drainpipe on his property without obtaining a wetlands permit after the flooding in July 2023, saying that after about two hours of heavy rain there was an 8-foot gully at the end of his driveway. He installed the drainpipe with the hope that any future significant storm would not cause such extensive damage. He showed dramatic photos of the road that was washed out next to his property.

The question was whether the pipe was in an intermittent waterway and required a permit. Inland Agency members determined that Berger needed to apply for an after-the-fact permit and he agreed to do so.