Agenda - Council - 10/14/2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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OC?~08'2003 14:39 763 424 5822 Loucks Associates Memo CC.' Date: Re: Steve iankowski - City Engineer Paul Kangas - ASLA - Loucks Associates Todd ~jerstedt - Todd Allen Homes ~ o/~o3 Tree Preservation bnd Grading Modificmion~ #6318 P.002/006 blJu t' Mi..e,q),)h.., M N~ ~Tivil Engineering [.,~)~d ~urvuyin~ J;,~l Jl~ J.l~,jll L~.11 I an~scape AwhJluC. h~ru Based on the direction provided by the City Council at the September 9~ Work Session, we have completed additional ~-'view of the options for minimizing the impact on the exi.m, in§ trees in three mparate locations of the Village of Sunfish Lake Subdivision. Additional surveying w~ performed by Loucks Assoclat~ to better understand where conflicts with trees occur. A meeting was held on September 17* with Todd Bjerstedt from Todd Allen Homes, Steve Jankowski and Mike McDowell of the City of Ramsey, and Council Member Cook in attendance to review the possible solutions. Addition'al meetings were held on September 25~ i~nd September 30* ~o further discuss this issue. Our proposed solutions for each area, ba.-~:~! on this new information, are as follows: Area A: Numerous issues appear to have cau~d confusion throughout this process. A brief review of the facts surrou0ding the cottage units includes: · The initial clearing efforts did not remove all of the tree~ allowed per thc original, final C~ty ,~ubmlttal. Additional staking has identified the exact location of the correct tree preservation line per the final submittal. A new silt fence is being placed r. along that line by the Developer. · Although ~he Developer is very interested in saving significant trees, a tree preserration ordinance was not in effed at the time this project was approved. The limlits of tree pre~rvation has never changed even though significant m'odific:ations were made to the layout of these units. · All of the trees in the wooded areas were not located on the existing conditions' 'survey. i Although the Developer voluntarily did a tree survey in specific areas, only t~ees over 8" in diameter were identified. The majority of tree preservation ordinar~ces place a limit on the size of tree on.which penalties for removal are placed. If any additional tree removal is necessarY, virtually all would be under the' 8~ diame~r threshold. · The current landsc,~pe contract (new plantings provided by the Developer) shows k~,al ofrf'rfty (50) coniferou.~ and deciduous trees being planted in the rear ya~d.~ the cottage homes adjacent to the eastern property line. This equals almost three trees per unit. These trees will need to be placed in the exi~ing wooded areas as the rear yards, regardless of tree clearin§ allowed, will not be large enough to accommodate these new plantings. Numerous meetings have been held bet'ween representgtives of Loucks Associates, Todd Allen Homes, ami the City of Ramsey. The most recent, held on September 30~ at the site with Todd Bjerst~lt, Kirk Ackerman, Paul Kangas, Mike McDoweJl, and ,Steve Jankowski present, was to review additional staking supplied by Loucks Associates that was placed on exact points frorr! the original tree preservation line. Additional stakes were provided, as requested by City Staff, to allcr, v for reference checks ~ confirm the accuracy of these p~ints.