Agenda - Planning Commission - 08/02/2018

Home

rifiDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Ecological and Water Resource 1200 Warner Road St. Paul, MN 55106 December 13, 2017 Transmitted Electronically Tina Goodroad 12260 South Diamond Lake Road Dayton, MN 55327 Re: North Dayton Development Scoping EAW Dear Tina Goodroad, The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has reviewed the scoping Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the proposed North Dayton Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR). We offer the following comments as you prepare the AUAR. Landcover. The cover types table on page 5 shows that the AUAR boundary contains 51 acres of wooded/forest land. We suggest that trees and larger wooded areas be retained as much as possible. Aerial imagery and Minnesota landcover maps shows two larger wooded areas within the project boundary (one in the northeast of the project area surrounding public water wetland 27-104 and one in the southwest of the project area north/northwest of public water wetland 27-124), in addition to several smaller wooded areas. Preserving these wooded areas as parks/community green space should be considered. In addition to providing environmental benefits such as wildlife habitat and clean air and water, wooded areas within communities offer many benefits to residents including recreation and health benefits, as well as increased property values. The book Conserving Wooded Areas in Developing Communities: Best Management Practices in Minnesota is a great reference for community planners and developers to use when considering development that contains wooded areas, with information on benefits of wooded areas and trees, as well as best management practices to conserve wooded areas at the subdivision and lot levels. Public waters. Public water wetlands are DNR Public Waters. Public Water Wetland, 27-104, is located within the proposed boundary and should be included on the list of DNR Public Waters present on site. As noted, Public Water Wetland 27-124 is also listed as a natural environment lake. Any development occurring near this waterbody will require a 150 foot setback and be subject to different zoning standards, per the City of Dayton's adopted shoreland zoning ordinance (City of Dayton Code of Ordinances Chapter 1000 Section 1001.8). Fish, wildlife, and rare features. The Natural Heritage review has been completed and a letter was sent on December 6, 2017 (attached). The letter provides information on rare features that may be negatively affected by the project along with suggestions on mitigation measures. Rare species identified in the letter include: Blanding's turtles (Emydoidea blandingii), a state -listed threatened species; black sandshell (Ligumia recta), a state -listed mussel of special concern (documented in the Mississippi River); and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), federally listed as threatened and state -listed as special concern (found throughout Minnesota). In addition, the North Metro Mississippi River Important Bird Area (IBA) overlaps the proposed project area. As noted on page 16 of the scoping EAW, the sensitive features identified in the Natural Heritage letter should be detailed in the AUAR and mitigation plans should be laid out to protect these resources. Cumulative potential effects on these features should also be addressed. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources • Ecological and Water Resources 1200 Warner Road, St. Paul, MN 55106