741 Colonel Ledyard Highway

Ledyard, Connecticut 06339

TOWN OF LEDYARD

Inland Wetland and Water Courses

Commission

Meeting Minutes - Final

Chairman

Justin DeBrodt

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

7:00 PM

Council Chambers -Hybrid Format

CALL TO ORDER

Vice Chairman Ribe called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex

Council Chambers and on Zoom.

II.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III.

ROLL CALL AND APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES

Chairman Dan Pealer

Present

Vice Chair Beth E. Ribe

Alternate Member Robert Graham

Alternate Member Sarah Bowen

Michael E. Marelli

Alternate Member Justin DeBrodt

Excused

In addition, the following were present:

Zoning & Wetlands Enforcement Official, Hannah Gienau

Assistant to the Director of Land Use & Planning, Anna Wynn

Vice Chairman Ribe seated Commissioner Graham as a voting member.

IV.

APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS TO AND/OR CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF THE

AGENDA

None.

CITIZENS PETITIONS (NON-AGENDA ITEMS ONLY)

None.

VI.

PRE APPLICATION DISCUSSION AND/OR WORKSHOP

None.

VII. PUBLIC HEARINGS/APPLICATIONS

None.

VIII. OLD BUSINESS

IWWC#26-2SITE - 31 Church Hill Road, (Map ID: 40-490-31) Ledyard, CT - Agent, Peter

Gardner, L.S, - Property Owners, David & Sara Holdridge, for regulated activities associated

with the construction of a driveway, including two wetland crossings and associated site

improvements, to serve a future single-family residence. Application APPROVED WITH

CONDITIONS by the IWWC on 3/3/26. Applicant requests Transfer of the Approved Permit

to Ty Curtis per Section 11.9.

Property owner Dave Holdridge, 38A Spicer Hill Road, Ledyard CT, and Ty Curtis, 86 Sharon

Road, Mystic CT, introduced themselves and stated their intent to transfer the wetlands permit.

The Commission and staff discussed that this was originally tabled because they were waiting to

confirm the full name and address of Mr. Curtis before granting the transfer. Wetlands Official,

Hannah Gienau, stated that now that they have confirmed his name and address the department

has all they require and recommended to the Commission that they grant the transfer.

MOTION to grant permit transfer for application IWWC#26-2SITE at 31 Church Hill Road,

Ledyard CT from Mr. Dave Holdridge to Mr. Ty Curtis

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Dan Pealer

RESULT:

MOVER:

Michael E. Marelli

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

IWWC#26-6RESUB - 84 Silas Deane Road (MAP ID: 42-2220-84) & 58 & 59 Seabury

Avenue (MAP ID: 42-2200-58) (MAP ID: 42-2200-59), Owner/Applicant - 84 Silas Deane

Road, LLC - Agent, Dieter & Gardner, LLC for regulated activities associated with a

proposed 23-Lot Resubdivision, including the construction of a new public road, stormwater

drainage system and installation of a dry hydrant (Submitted 3/26/26, Date of Receipt 4/7/26,

DRD 6/10/26)

Wetlands Official, Hannah Gienau, stated that the department received a request to table the

application until the next regularly scheduled meeting on June 2, 2026 to allow more time to

address Town Engineer comments. She read the email request submitted by Attorney William

Sweeny previously marked as file document #12.

MOTION to table application IWWC#26-6RESUB to the IWWC Regular Meeting of June 2,

2026

TABLED

RESULT:

Dan Pealer

Robert Graham

MOVER:

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

DeBrodt

AYE:

EXCUSED:

Bowen

NON-VOTING

IWWC#26-7SITE-1947 Center Groton Road (Map ID:67-430-1947), Ledyard

CT,-Applicant, EG Home LLC-Agent, William Sweeney, Esq.- Property Owners, 1947

Center Groton Road LLC, for regulated activities associated with construction of a 72-unit

multifamily development & associated site improvements. (Submitted 4/1/26, Date of receipt

4/7/26, DRD 6/10/26)

Wetlands Official, Hannah Gienau, stated that the department also received a request to table

this application until the next regularly scheduled meeting on June 2, 2026 to allow more time to

address Town Engineer comments. She read the email request submitted by Attorney William

Sweeny previously marked as file document #23.

MOTION to table application IWWC#26-7SITE to the IWWC Regular Meeting of June 2, 2026

TABLED

RESULT:

Dan Pealer

MOVER:

Michael E. Marelli

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

IX.

NEW BUSINESS

IWWC#26-10AR- 230 Iron Street (Map ID: 56-1110-219) Ledyard CT, Agent, Rick Souza,

Property Owner, Mark Sellew, Three Sons Ledyard, LLC, for As of Right Determination for

land clearing to support the expansion of nursery crop cultivation at Prides Corners Farm per

Section 4.2 (Submitted 4/28/26, Date of receipt 5/5/26, DRD 7/8/26)

Agent to the application, Rick Souza, 347 Elm Street, Stonington CT, introduced the as of

right determination request and briefly discussed the limits of clearing shown on the

submitted plan. Wetlands Official, Hannah Gienau, discussed the limits of clearing with the

Commission and other future for the site. She stated that Land Use Director Elizabeth

Burdick and herself are scheduled to do a site walk of the property to confirm there is no

disturbance to the wetlands. Ms. Gienau read Section 4.2. of the Ledyard Inland Wetlands &

Watercourses Commission Regulations for the record.

MOTION to approve As of Right Determination for IWWC#26-10AR pursuant Section 4.2

of the Ledyard Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission Regulations

AS OF RIGHT

Dan Pealer

RESULT:

MOVER:

Robert Graham

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

IWWC#26-11AR - 77 Homestead Road (MAP ID: 59-1030-77) Ledyard CT,

Applicant/Owner, Robert Stoodley, for As of Right Determination for installation of

temporary dock until completion of repairs to existing dock per Section 4.2.e. (Submitted

4/30/26, Date of Receipt 5/5/26, DRD 7/8/26)

Robert Stoodley, applicant and owner of 77 Homestead Road, stated that he had serve

damage done to his dock and described his proposed project to install temporary dock until

he finalizes insurance information to replace the existing one. Wetlands Official, Hannah

Gienau, said the proposed temporary dock is essentially screwing into the ground and

described the mechanism.

Commissioner Graham stated that Mr. Stoodley is his neighbor. The Commission agreed that

Commissioner Graham would recuse himself to avoid conflict of interest. Commissioner

Marelli and Mr. Stoodley clarified that the end goal is to eventually replace the existing dock

once the insurance process is finalized. They discussed that Mr. Stoodley would come back

to the Commission at that time for the replacement of his dock.

MOTION to approve As of Right Determination for IWWC#26-11AR per Section 4.2.e of

the Ledyard Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission Regulations

AS OF RIGHT

Dan Pealer

RESULT:

MOVER:

Michael E. Marelli

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

Sustainable CT - Train Municipal Representatives Action 8.3.b: Discussion of content

learned through CT DEEP Municipal Inland Wetlands Agency Comprehensive Training

Program

Assistant to the Director of Land Use & Planning, Anna Wynn, spoke to the Commission

about the Sustainable CT Certification process and specifics of Action 8.3.b. She and the

Commission spoke about submission requirements for this item. The Commission said they

would like to table this item until the next regular meeting in order to be more prepared.

MOTION to table agenda item to the IWWC Regular Meeting of June 2, 2026

TABLED

RESULT:

Dan Pealer

MOVER:

Michael E. Marelli

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

IWWC Regular Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2026

The Commission briefly reviewed the draft minutes and stated they saw no required changes.

MOTION to approve the IWWC Regular Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2026

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Dan Pealer

RESULT:

MOVER:

Robert Graham

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

IWWC Special Meeting Site Walk Minutes of April 24, 2026

Commission Pealer noted a grammatical mistake at the end of the minutes and stated there

was an extra space between Commissioner Ribe’s name and an apostrophe. He requested

that this be amended before filing.

MOTION to approve as amended the IWWC Regular Meeting Minutes of April 24, 2026

APPROVED AS AMENDED

Michael E. Marelli

Dan Pealer

RESULT:

MOVER:

SECONDER:

Pealer, Ribe, Graham, and Marelli

AYE:

DeBrodt

Bowen

EXCUSED:

NON-VOTING

XI.

CORRESPONDENCE

None.

XII. REPORTS

Wetlands Report of May 5, 2026

Wetlands Official, Hannah Gienau, discussed her monthly staff report with the Commission.

She spoke at length about a wetlands violation at 208 Gallup Hill Road in which the property

owners cleared into the wetlands. She described restoration procedures she and the property

owners are working on to correct the violation. Commissioner Marelli asked if the lot would

be overtaken by invasive species. Ms. Gienau stated no that there are native plants grown

there and there was no sight of invasive during her site inspection. She briefly spoke to the

Commission about an alleged wetlands violation at 241 Gallup Hill Road but stated that it

was a previously approved Timber Harvest from 2023. She stated she requested that the

owners clean up the dirt and debris they had left on the roadway. The owners have already

complied.

XIII. ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Pealer moved the meeting to be adjourned, seconded by Commissioner

Graham

VOTE: 4-0

The meeting was adjourned at 7:32 p.m.