Preston — The developer of a controversial proposed RV park at the junction of routes 2 and 164 at Avery Pond has revised the plans to remove all activities in and near the pond and all disturbances within 100 feet of wetlands around the pond.

Maryland-based Blue Water Development Corp. has proposed the $25 million RV park and campground resort under the name Blue Camp CT LLC, on three parcels owned by the Mashantucket-Pequot Tribal Nation. The project has been revised several times in response to concerns from residents and the town’s consulting engineers.

In the latest changes, spelled out by project attorney Harry Heller in a three-page letter to the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, the project would not disturb any pond area wetlands within the 100-foot buffer zone that comes under the authority of the commission.

A proposed T-shaped dock in Avery Pond has been eliminated, along with nine safari tent sites along the banks of the pond at the northwest peninsula of the property and the proposed elevated boardwalk that would have led to the safari sites. A total of 22 campsites have been removed from the plans, and the road network was altered to avoid approaching the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone.

The project now would have 280 campsites, a welcome center, three bathhouses, a swimming pool, volleyball, tennis, squash and bocce areas. Roads and parking areas would be gravel-based, except in the area of the welcome center, which would be paved.

Wetlands commission Chairman John Moulson said the project still will require review and approval by the commission, because there are wetlands on the property. The commission will review issues such as stormwater controls and erosion plans required to protect the wetlands.

In his letter, Heller cited concerns of residents and a report submitted to the commission by Dr. George Knoecklein, which said the original project would have adverse impacts on the shallow pond, as reasons for the latest revisions. In addition, Blue Water has hired Carl D. Nielsen, a limnologist — a scientist who specializes in freshwater systems — and certified lake manager, “to assist the Applicant in determining that the revised project initiative will have no potential adverse impacts to Avery Pond.”

Nielsen told the commission Tuesday he was pleased that the developer has accepted his recommendations and removed work near the pond and its wetlands, avoiding disturbances to wetlands habitats.

At the start of Tuesday’s public hearing session, attorney Heller strongly objected to recent communications commission member Jerry Grabarek had through emails to campground project officials, and officials at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regarding potential presence of so-called “forever chemicals” PFAS, polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Heller said these types of communications were out of bounds from the legal hearing process. “In our opinion, these contacts were inappropriate, and they taint this whole hearing process,” he said.

Grabarek responded that all he was doing was asking for a copy of the PFAS report to provide to a DEEP expert on the issue.

“That is totally inappropriate for a commission member,” Heller said, asking that Grabarek should recuse himself from further proceedings. He submitted the emails in question and communications from project officials to Heller alerting him to the issue into the hearing record Tuesday night.

Heller also said one person contacted by Grabarek relayed that the commission might have to deny the application. Grabarek on Tuesday denied making that statement.

Chairman Moulson said commission members have had no discussions about the project outside the public hearing.

During the March 1 public hearing, Grabarek, a local dairy farmer, expressed concern that the property had been farmed for decades and asked for a study on whether PFAS had been spread on the property. The chemicals dissolve quickly in water and with rain, either seep into the groundwater or flow into nearby wetlands.

A report submitted to the commission by BGTEnvironmental LLC explained the ubiquitous nature of PFAS in everyday life and how the chemicals have been spread in the environment since the 1940s. The study collected soil samples from six sites on the property and discovered five of the test sites contained concentrations of PFAS “well below the applicable residential direct exposure criteria,” but above a standard for measuring whether the materials are expected to leach from the soil into groundwater.

The report concluded that PFAS on the property has been seeping into groundwater, wetlands and watercourses on and near the property for nearly 15 years and would not be worsened by the proposed RV park development.

c.bessette@theday.com