Agenda - Council - 05/12/1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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! I I I ! I I I I I I I I i I I I I 3) Comn4e, nti [The proposed alignment will affect a Type 4 Wetland. Response.' i It is true that the roadway will impact a protected wetland. However, when neces, ar~ "the City has constructed roadways through wetlands Most notable is the' recen[ y-~e'~mplete~ segment of 153rd Avenue between County ~oad #5 and Ramsey Boule' 'ard iwhich the staff feels was done in an environmentally acceptable manner. We have r ~cei~ed positive comments from citizens on the wetland mitigation elements of the proj¢c. ~e City acknowledges wetlands as a valuable resource and is committed to both minim zing and mitigating any impacts to them. Vehicle access along the wetland will also afford!the public an opportunity to enjoy their beauty. 4) Comnient:'l At the December 10, 1991 meeting a resident stated that the adjacent wetland was a habitat for the Blanding turtle, which is a "threatened" species. Resp~se:i Discussion with the Department of Natural Resources office dealing with threat~ned~and endangered species indicated that numerous sightings of Blanding turtles ha'~6 [Jeen i'ecorded in the Ramsey area, including one sighting within the general proximity of tt~eiproposed project. Blanding turtles are common within the Anoka sand plain area since [heir habitat consists of shallow wetland with emergent vegetation. They tend to remaih in ihe wetland except for nesting to lay eggs, which they prefer to do in sandy soils as elclseZt~ the wetland as possible. Discussion with DNR personnel indicated the Dep .a~'nerit policy on such projects is to address each project having a potential impact on a case ~y CaSe basis. Some potential provisions to address the impact on the Blanding turtle may mclu~le a) recreating s~mflar wetland in another location, b) limiting construction activi~ieSt~o a period when the turtles are not nesting, and c) installing fencing to keep the turtles sephrate from the roadway. 5) Commenti It was pointed out that a portion of the roadway will necessitate the taking of parklar nd. ! ResPOnse:! A small portion of the project located south the Section 21 Half Section Line was dedicated as parkland as a portion of the Greenland Hills Plat. All of the dedicated parklSnd except perhaps a strip fronting along Armstrong Boulevard no greater than 100 feet v~ide is in actuality wetland. 6) Commenti~ It was pointed out that the land parcel between Armstrong Blvd. and the propqsed ,street (currently owned by Mr. Wayne Knutson) would have double frontage on two ~aj°t roadways. Since the land is zoned residential, the value of the land would be decr~sed~ Resp~Onse~ It is reasonable to conclude that the referenced property would become less destr4abl~ residential property. The fact that the property would have direct access to both a no ~rfl~/so;uth and east/west arterial street would increase its potential value if it were to be rezo~ed for commercial use. Recommen~latiOn: Alternative 2~creates a functioning east/west arterial which terminates at Armstrong Boulevard. As developmengpr~eeds, traffic having origins or destinations west of Armstrong Boulevard wishing to travel eastward to City Hall, the elementary school, clinics and future developments in this vicinity will[nee41 to travel excessive distance, make additional tums and be subject to safety hazards of using ~Arrnstrong Boulevard or travel over non-arterial residential streets to avoid the use of Armstrong BoUlevard. I recommend against pursuing this alternative.