Laserfiche WebLink
case is to provide the Planning Commission with the opportunity to review and discuss the <br />ordinance with the consultants prior to the May 4 public hearing. <br /> <br />CommissionInDut <br /> <br />Loren Gordon, Hoisington Koegler Group, indicated they had some discussion with Staff last <br />summer, and this draft is what came out of the Environmental Policy Task Force. He stated they <br />scoped out the project and added to their team Peterson Environmental, whose work has been <br />invaluable to them and this project. He stated they began working through what the c~rdinance <br />could be, and the first draft was released in January. He noted this is the fourth draft after many <br />reviews by the Environmental Policy Task Force. He stated he thinks it is in good shape, but <br />wants the Planning Commission's input. <br /> <br />Mr. Gordon stated there are two Schools of thought; the functions and values approach and the <br />water quality approach. He advised the functions and values approach looks at-the wetlands and <br />working with the qualitY, of the wetland and the topography of the area. He stated the water <br />quality approach is less sensitive to what the wetland is, and takes a more standard approach that <br />is less sensitive to what is there and gets more into draining and grading to improve the water <br />quality before it gets to the wetland. He noted the functions and values approach was <br />recommended by the Environmental Policy Task Force and by Peterson Environmental. <br /> <br />Mr. Gordon explained that the ordinance attempts to get at different ways to get at buffer strips. <br /> <br />Commissioner Johnson asked if this ordinance is based on another city's model. <br /> <br />Mr. Gordon stated it is based on several different-ordinances from different communities that <br />were on the cutting edge, He indicated they took several ordinances to see what worked and did <br />not work. He stated Peterson Environmental put the first scientific approach on this in <br />Minnetonka and Plymouth. <br /> <br />Commissioner Johnson asked if Mr. Gordon were anticipating this would be passed before the <br />map of the wetlands is created. <br /> <br />Mr. Gordon stated the map of the wetlands exists. He indicated there are many triggers roi~ a <br />buffer, including preliminary plat, PUD, etc., so if a development is going to develop that has <br />wetlands on it, them are various buffers that could be required. <br /> <br />Commissioner Johnson stated they have a wetland map that is going to be adopted. He asked if <br />the idea is that if a developing property shows a wetland on that map they will have to go to this <br />ordinance to see what needs to be done concerning buffering. <br /> <br />Mr. Gordon indicated there may be wetlands that do not show up on that map because they are <br />doing more inventorying. <br /> <br />P20 <br /> <br />Planning Commission/April 21, 2005 <br /> Page 20 of 23 <br /> <br /> <br />