Agenda - Council - 02/12/2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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R.¢sponse to the EAW' Request The Ponds Residential Develo?ment Project Page 3 2. During cortstmction of the proposed development, runoffwill be contro[Ied by erosion control methods such as silt fence and straw bales. 3. At the completion of the construction, the site will be mulched and seeded as we[I. Additional rvnoff control into the wetland area wi[I be the'existence of a vegetative buffer zone adjacent to the wetland. The construction plans include a 50 - 90 foot vegetative buffer comprised of both fi.iii-grown trees and brush, inside this buffer zone, all vegetation will be restricted from arty clearing activities by the developer, contractors or residents. Recently, the City requested that this buffer be expanded an additional [5 - 20 foot. This request is in the process of being implemented'into the development plates by Royal Oaks. According to a Royal Oaks representative, no wet[and areas wi[[ be dredged or filled as part of the proposed proi¢ct. [n addition, no proposed roadxvays will infringe oh or impact any wetland areas. Royal' Oaks also had a wetland survey and delineation (January 4, 2000). completed on the entire Site by Arlig Environmental, [nc. The wetland report wil'l be used to avoid any wetiand infringements during the construction o f the proposed development. £ssue 2 - Concern regarding the reduction of wildlife habitat and the subsequent effects on wildlife utilizing that habitat. Historical in~brmation (aerial photographs, topographic maps and city directories) were reviewed by ProSource to determirte the previous uses of' the Site. The aeriai photo~aphs revealed that in the .1930's the Site and d'~e areas surrounding it were used as fat-roland (including the wetland areas on and surrounding the Site). The western portion of the Site appears to be sparsely wooded. Subsequent aerial photographs t~ocn the tare 1950's to the late [980's revealed that the residential home currently on the Site was built during the beginning of this time period. The primary land use on the Site appears to be a~icultura[. A 1997 aehal photograph shows that during this period the Site continues to have a resider'trial home on it (along witl't several out-buildings) and that the remainder of the site is woodlands or uncultivated fields. Topographic maps for the years 1.902, 1.955 and [958 show no structures on the Site. The [967, 1972, [980 and [993 topographic maps show a single structure with an access road (off of Nowthen Boulevard) on the Site. Select city directories for the years 1.979 through [994 [isled a residential home at the Site address (14346 Nowthen Boulevard).. The 1999 city directory had no [isling for the Site address. [n summary, the historical data indicates that the Site was originally used as farmland (including the wetland areas) from the 1930's (and most likely in the decades befbre that time) until the [ate [980's. Upon the cessation of farming activities, natural revegetation of the l:brmer ~armtand and wetland areas has occmred. Because of the use of these Best Management Practices to mitigate the harm~l effects of storm water runoe'f into the wetland areas, the impact on wildlife in cite' wetland will .also be rninimized. The site is CUtTently a residence/former farmstead, and is characterized by wooded areas, open fields and ~bur wetlands. Based on observations, the site appears to support a number of common wildlife species (birds. chipmunks, squirrels, deer and raccoon) that are readily adaptable ~o an urban environment. As is the case with any project where trees and brush are cleared, some wildlife will be ProSource T.schnologies, inc. August 3,200t§1_