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Findings of Fact <br />Pulte Homes Sommerset Station Development <br />July, 2005 <br />?.age 1 <br /> <br /> FINDINGS OF FACT <br />Environmental Assessment Worksheet <br />for <br /> <br />· PULTE HoMEs SOMMERSET STATION DEVELOPMENT <br /> <br />· Ramsey, MN <br />July, 2005 <br /> <br /> T,roe. extent, and reversibiliw of environmental effects: <br /> <br />1. Fish, Wildlife and Ecolog/cally Sensitive Resources <br /> t'. The main impact urbanization has on plants and animals iS a loss of habitat. This <br /> site has a considerable amount of wetland habitat area. Loss of suitable habitat <br /> can result from 'physical landscape modification by clearing and grubbing trees. <br /> Another way that urbanization affects wildlife is by fragmenting the habitat areas. <br /> This reduces the travel corridors necessa~ to some Wildlife for escape routes and <br /> to reach food, water, and shelter. <br /> 2. The proposed project will likely displace the wildlife population that uses the <br /> wetland areas for protection, food and cover. The wildlife will likely relocate to <br /> other nearby habitat in the area until construction is over. Some species may <br /> return after construction and some others may be permanently displaced. <br />2. Erosion and Sedimentation <br /> 1. The area to be disturbed bY"the project is 170 acres through the excavation of <br /> 600,000 cubic yards of material. The site also contains several areas with slopes <br /> over 12%. <br /> 2. An Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and a Storm Water Pollution Prevention <br /> Program (swPPP) will'be submitted and approved as part of the platting proce, ss. <br /> 3. MPCA Best Management PraCtices (BMP) will be implemented to mitigate <br /> erosion and sediment, which are required for all land disturbances. Grading will <br /> be limited to roadway construction, storm water ponds, .and house pads. BMPs to <br /> be implemented include silt fences, storm water basins, rock construction <br /> entrances, and seeding disturbed slopes, and will be implemented as soon as <br /> possible. The developer will obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination <br /> System (NPDES) permit and comply with the requirements. <br /> <br />Cumulative potential effects of related or anticipated future proiects: <br /> <br />1. The cumulative effects associated with this project are essentially the effects of'sub- <br /> urbanization. This can have both positive and negative cumulative effects socially and <br /> enviromnentatly. Some of the cumulative effects that can be observed from the expansion <br /> of urban development in the City of R amsey are loss of agricultural land and loss and <br /> fragrnentation of wildlife habitat. <br /> There is a competing issue with the goals of many communities in balancing residential <br /> development with agriculru, ral needs, open space, and natural resources while trying to <br /> <br />-246- <br /> <br /> <br />