Adams Conservation Commission Member Robinson Steps Down
ADAMS, Mass. — Conservation Commission member Tom Robinson has stepped down from the commission as of Nov. 1.
The commissioners held their first meeting without Robinson on Thursday. Member James Fassell said Robinson was a crucial member and that they will miss his dedication.
"Tom was big," Fassell said. "He was the guy who would say, 'Wait, let's not go here.' He was the one that would stand up and yell and make sure it was done right."
Fassell said he plans to approach Kathy Dean as a potential replacement for Robinson's vacant seat.
In other business, Kate Wilkins, project manager at Tighe & Bond, was present at the meeting to request a certificate of compliance for a completed project for National Grid. Wilkins said the utility received an order of conditions to replace a structure between Zylonite Station Road and East Road in 2018.
"Part of the structure was pretty much in the [Hoosic] river," she said. "The bank line had eroded and taken out two of the legs, so there was concern that they were going to lose the whole structure. So we decided to replace it and move it 60 feet farther back off the edge of the stream channel."
Tighe & Bond officially completed the project in August 2021 with the addition of plantings to the site.
Wilkins also provided notice of project change regarding the Hoosic River Structure Replacement Project. She said Tighe & Bond started this project after replacing the structure from the 2018 project.
"After that structure was replaced, National Grid went along and said, 'We got to really figure out how to protect this infrastructure,'" she said. "We have three transmission lines that come into that substation, we've got distribution lines that come out, we've got another transmission line that comes out. So there's a lot going on in the Adams substation area."
Commissioner Steven Melito said Tighe & Bond did a great job fixing the issues with the initial structure replacement.
"I've read the documentation, and it sounds like you had a number of choices, and I think you made the best choice. You left the place better than you found it, which is really all that we can ask for," Melito said.
Eammon Coughlin, director of the Community Development Department, said work should begin on the Davis Street culvert replacement project on Monday, Nov. 8. Northern Construction is the company leading the project.
"They're going to be out there bright and early on Monday moving equipment in, so that will be started up," he said.
Coughlin also explained the notice of intent for the Greylock Glen project should be ready for the next Conservation Commission meeting.
The board voted to move the start time to 6 p.m. for future commission meetings. Subject to change, Dec. 2 is the expected date for the next meeting.
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