Land acquisitions and lot line revisions shared the Board of Selectmen agenda with a request aimed at improving water quality on Lake Zoar, as the officials convened for a regular meeting April 6.

Public Works Director Fred Hurley appeared before selectmen with a memo from the Lake Zoar Authority requesting priority scheduling of street sweeping and storm basin cleaning in five waterfront communities. Mr Hurley said after consulting with Health Director Donna Culbert, he decided to bring the authority’s request to selectmen.

Following discussion, the selectmen approved creating a sweeping and basin cleaning zone encompassing the neighborhoods bordering the watercourse, which would be handled first before an established revolving schedule of similar sweeping and cleaning occurs throughout the rest of town.

First Selectman Pat Llodra pointed out that completing the chore across 275 miles of town roads is already challenging, but the long-term environmental impact of winter materials running into Lake Zoar should take precedence. Mr Hurley said the authority is aligned with state and federal agencies grappling with similar runoff problems — also known as non point source pollution.

“We’ve already started basin cleaning in those neighborhoods,” Mr Hurley told selectmen. “By the time that is done, we’ll start sweeping and then come back once more to do the basins again.”

The public works official said he did not want residents to think that special treatment was being given to lakeside neighborhoods, saying the decision is strictly addressing negative environmental impact.

He said despite recent and significant reduction in the use of road salt, from as much as 24,000 cubic yards per winter season in past years to only 6,000 yards last winter, there is still enough “particulate matter” running off into the local waterways to do environmental harm.

Mr Hurley said neighborhoods in the Shady Rest, Lakehurst, Cedarhurst, and Great Quarter areas will be swept the by month’s end, and that the total lakeside program represents less than two of the 20 planned street sweeping routes scheduled this year. Following the lakeside program, Mr Hurley said the rest of the town’s quadrants would be completed at the rate of about five per month, wrapping up by the end of July.

Two town vehicles — a sweeper and vacuum truck — will eventually be supplemented by a vendor with an additional commercial sweeper.

Land Acquisitions

Later in the meeting, Deputy Land Use Director Rob Sibley came before selectmen requesting the town acquire two small parcels of land being gifted to the community by residents, as well as recommending lot line revisions to four other small parcels.

Prior to his presentation, Mr Sibley reminded officials how well the community was doing preserving local open space through similar acquisitions, as well as a long-term open space program that purchases, and/or grants environmental easements to protect key parcels from development.

The acquisitions that were approved and recommended to the Board of Finance and Legislative Council for review include a 0.3 acre cluster of parcels that would either link or abut current town-owned open space known as Laurel Trail. According to documentation Mr Sibley presented to selectmen, this acquisition would enhance an 100-acre-plus contiguous preserve with public access from Laurel, as well as Oak and Hemlock Trails.

The second 2.98-acre parcel abuts Valley Field Road and would link other parcels of town-owned open space creating a 56-acre contiguous preserve with access from Albert’s Hill Road, Valley Field Road North, Concord Ridge, and Winter Ridge Roads.

This parcel has already been recommended by the town conservation and Planning & Zoning Commissions, Mr Sibley explained.

In other discussion, selectmen moved four parcels with suggested lot line revisions — a 0.13 acre parcel off Walnut Tree Hill Road; a 0.09 acre plot at 94 Waterview Drive; a 1,475-square-foot parcel at 8 Waterview Drive; and a 0.23 acre plot at 2 Sweetbriar Lane. While the Walnut Tree lot would provide a critical link in the continuation of Al’s Trail, the effort to revise the other three lot lines would create more conforming zoned residential parcels, Mr Sibley said.