2020 Town of East Lyme Plan of Conservation and Development East Lyme Planning Commission Town of East Lyme 11/9/2020 “The earth is common ground and… gradually the idea is taking form that the land must be held in safekeeping, that one generation is to some extent responsible to the next...” - E.B. White, 1942 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Plan of Conservation and Development Steering Committee: Michelle Royce Williams, Chair Lawrence Fitzgerald Richard Gordon Peter Lynch (2019) Dr. Rosemary Ostfeld Norman B. Peck III Kirk Scott Planning Commission: Kirk Scott, Chair Michelle Royce Williams, Secretary Nichole Davison Thomas Fitting Jr. Richard Gordon Mary Salvatore Elizabeth Allen, Alternate Brian Bohmbach, Alternate East Lyme Staff: Gary A. Goeschel II, Director of Planning / Inland Wetland Agent William Mulholland, Zoning Official Jennifer Lindo, Administrative Assistant Karen Zmitruk, Administrative Assistant Board of Selectmen: Mark Nickerson, First Selectman Kevin Seery, Deputy First Selectman Daniel Cunningham Paul Dagle Rose Ann Hardy Mark Salerno 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 TABLES ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................... 9 FORWARD ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 12 MISSION STATEMENT ................................................................................................................................... 12 VISION ............................................................................................................................................................ 13 GOALS ........................................................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 1 - Background ................................................................................................................................ 15 1.1 Progress Since the 2009 Plan of Conservation and Development ................................................. 15 1.2 Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 16 1.3 Stakeholder Engagement ............................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2 - Agricultural Resources .............................................................................................................. 19 2.1 History of Agriculture and Aquaculture in East Lyme ...................................................................... 19 2.2 Current State of Agriculture in East Lyme ...................................................................................... 19 2.3 Supporting Local Food Systems .................................................................................................... 19 2.4 Protecting Clean Water Resources ................................................................................................ 19 2.5 Economic Development ................................................................................................................. 19 2.6 Reduced Cost of Services .............................................................................................................. 20 2.7 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 20 2.7.1 Strategies for Implementation ..................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3 - Coastal Resources ..................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Coastal Boundary .......................................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Management .................................................................................................................................. 25 3.3 RECOMMENDATIONS: .................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 4 - Historic Resources .................................................................................................................... 33 4.1 Historical Community Groups......................................................................................................... 33 4.2 Documents & Artifacts ................................................................................................................... 33 4.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 5 - Natural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 36 5.1 Environmental Quality ....................................................................................................................... 36 5.2 Environmentally Sensitive Areas ....................................................................................................... 36 5.2.1 Aquifers ...................................................................................................................................... 36 5.2.2 Surface Waters........................................................................................................................... 36 3 5.2.3 Floodplains ................................................................................................................................. 37 5.2.4 Inland and Tidal Wetlands: ......................................................................................................... 37 5.2.5 Beaches, Dunes and Bluffs ........................................................................................................ 37 5.2.6 Steep Slopes .............................................................................................................................. 37 5.3 Groundwater and Surface Water Protection ...................................................................................... 39 5.3.1 Synthetic Organic Chemicals, Hydrocarbons .............................................................................. 39 5.3.2 Landfill Leachate ........................................................................................................................ 39 5.3.3 Salt ............................................................................................................................................. 39 5.3.4 Nitrates ....................................................................................................................................... 39 5.3.5 Biological Pollutants ................................................................................................................... 40 5.3.6 Pesticides ................................................................................................................................... 40 5.3.7 Heavy Metals ............................................................................................................................. 40 5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 6 - Open Space ................................................................................................................................ 42 6.1 Acquisition, Preservation, and Enhancement .................................................................................... 42 6.2 Types of Open Space ........................................................................................................................ 42 6.2.1 Conservation Open Space ......................................................................................................... 42 6.2.2 Recreational Open Space .......................................................................................................... 42 6.2.3 Institutional and Private Open Space .......................................................................................... 43 6.2.4 Agricultural Open Space ............................................................................................................. 43 6.3 Open Space Plans for East Lyme ...................................................................................................... 43 6.3.1 Natural Resource Commission Open Space Plan ...................................................................... 43 6.3.2 Land of Unique Value Study ....................................................................................................... 48 6.3.3 The Niantic River Watershed ...................................................................................................... 51 6.3.4 Long-Term Perspective .............................................................................................................