Supplemental Narrative
July 29, 2010
Northampton Conservation Commission
City Hall
210 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
RE: Notice of Intent for improvements to a Single Family Home
1157 Florence Road, Florence, MA 01062
NEE File 10-3572
Owner’s supplement to original narrative
Dear Members of the Commission:
We would like to offer an expanded description of the history and proposed work around our
home.
Our home was built 30 years ago and we have lived there for 24 years without any appreciable
changes to the landscape and mown lawn area. We are aware that our home is now in the buffer
zone and because of that we are proposing a number of improvements, such as: removing a
septic system from the buffer zone; promoting infiltration of runoff and drainage; and removal of
invasives within the existing buffer zone. We are also willing to make adjustments to the area of
lawn being mown to the west side of the rain garden. We plan to live in our home for many
years to come and believe this project offers a number of significant improvements to the
existing conditions.
We see our improvements as significant for their number, variety and scope. Specifically, we
propose to replace an existing (old, but still functioning) septic system, not with another septic
system but with a sewer system, that will exist mostly outside of the 100’ buffer zone. This
sewer system is possible because the town of Easthampton has provided access which we will
pay for at increased ongoing operating costs. We propose to improve drainage into the buffer
zones by regrading the significant descent that leads to our home and redirecting water through
swales and rain gardens, thereby slowing down the runoff and promoting infiltration. We plan to
implement a new native landscape plan which will be maintained for proper function.
Additionally, we propose to stop using the present area for grass clippings and to stop mowing
and fill in the space between our field and rain garden with native bushes (e.g.,Blueberry, Sweet
Pepperbush, Winterberry) as detailed in the attached drawing.
We find the suggestion that we use stone monuments and change the long standing mowing
pattern of our lawn onerous and are not willing to add those changes to our plan. On balance we
feel we are presenting a plan that is an improvement and enhancement over the existing
conditions.
Thank you for reviewing this project.
Sincerely yours,
John Levine and Susan Clopton
cc: New England Environmental, Inc.