Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...

Street Culvert. The City of Amesbury and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have
invested millions of dollars in the infrastructure of Elm Street and Route 110 including
upgrading ofculverts at these locations in the last ten years. The design ofthese culverts did
not incorporate additional flow from an expanded 1-95.
2. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) has indicated to the
Amesbury Conservation Commission that a significant wet meadow is present within the
Golden Triangle area adjacent to the 1-95 corridor between Exit 58 (Route 110) and the
Intersection of 1-495 and 1-95. The city requests that the applicant provide additional
information on possible impacts to the wet meadow from the increase ofthe pre-development
watershed water volume to the post development watershed water volume and the subsequent
decrease ofpeak flow to this area. The change in duration and quantity offlooding over time
could have a detrimental effect on the conditions of the wet meadow. Reportedly, MADEP
has indicated that this type of wet meadow is becoming increasingly rare within the
Commonwealth. , ,
3. While the storm water management plan will attenuate the peak runoff flows for the drainage
system that runs through the Golden Triangle area, will the addition to the overall volume of
water within the watershed, due to the increased duration of the water flow, be significant
enough to cause a shift in the characteristics of the existing intermittent stream If the
volume ofwater were to cause the intermittent stream to be reclassified as a perennial stream,
then the Golden Triangle area would become significantly less viable for development
potential.
4. Within the DEIR, the applicant indicates that two storm water basins (Basins 3A and 3B) are
to be constructed directly behind Martignetti Enterprises, Inc., at 32 Merrill Street Extension.
The ground surface behind the building appears to be sloping down from 1-95 to the back of
the existing building. Basin 3B is proposed to be an extended detention basin and Basin 3A
is proposed to be an infiltration basin. Has the applicant given thought as to what effects
these basins may have on the Martignetti property during construction and with the operation
and maintenance of the basins Given that the area is shallow to bedrock they are likely to
be detrimentally impacted by the increased groundwater.
5. The DEIR indicates that there will be a Wetlands Mitigation Area constructed in the upland
area just north ofWetlands H (located just south ofthe Salisbury off-ramp to Route Ilo-Exit
58). The excavated 4,950 SF of soil appears to create a significant slope adjacent to the
location where the Shared Use Path starts to veer off to the Old Merrill Street access point
and also where the modifications to the existing Exit 58 off-ramp are proposed. The city
requests that the applicant review the slope soil conditions for possible stability issues during
and after construction, whether or not the mitigation area is going to provide additional storm
water storage, and what effects this mitigation/storage area will have (ifany) on the abutting
private property.
6. The DEIR indicates that Wetland I may be hydraulically linked to a larger wetland system on
the east side of Merrill Street, however no apparent connection was observed (Page 4-47 of
DEIR). The wetland to the east ofMerrill Street is tidally influenced and ifthe two wetlands