Agenda - Council - 03/13/2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Preliminary Plat: Pine Prairie January 26, 2007 Revised }"larch 8, 2007 Page 4 of6 Also, a trail easement will need to be provided over that portion of the property encumbered by the trail. Landscaping: The following comments are offered regarding the revised landscaping plan, dated February 23, 2007: . . Size of plant material is not indicated in the planting schedule. All plantings intended to fulfill the canopy cover requirements shall comply with the following minimum sizes: deciduous trees-one (1) inch caliper, coniferous trees-five (5) feet in height, deciduous shrubs~twenty-four (24) inches in height and coniferous shrubs-twenty-four (24) inches in height or width, whichever is applicable based on growth characteristics. . All plantings used to fulfill the density transitioning requirements shall comply with the following minimum sizes: overstory deciduous trees-two and a half(2.5) inch caliper, coniferous trees-six (6) feet in height and understory and/or ornamental trees-one and a half (1.5) inch caliper. . The American elms must be a variety that is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease. . Some type of foundation plantings should be incorporated into the plan. . As noted on the planting specification, the root flare (root collar) must be within one (1) inch of finished grade. Any trees planted too deeply will be rejected. . Only prune out dead or damaged branches. At the time of fmal plat, a revised landscaping plan should be submitted that addresses these concerns as well as those noted under the tree preservation section. Density -Transitioning: The preliminary plat proposes to construct townhomes adjacentto single-family homes, and requires density transitioning. City Code allows for a variety of measures to satisfy the density transitioning requirements; including landscaping, berming, and holding land in common ownership. If landscaping is proposed, then Levell transitioning is required. A minimum of six trees for every 100 feet of adjacent property, including two each of evergreens, overstory trees, and ornamental trees, are required along the western boundary of the parcel. The plan indicates that twenty-four (24) trees will be installed along the western boundary for transitioning purposes, which meets the minimum requirements. Tree Preservation: A revised tree inventory and preservation plan, dated February 23,2007, has been submitted. The site is dominated by Siberian Elm and Scotch and Red Pine. The reconfiguration of the grading and drainage plan has resulted in the proposed removal of the red pines along the western boundary (these were originally shown to be preserved). Although these are not necessarily outstanding or specimen trees, they would provide some immediate screening for the adjacent existing single family homes. City Code requires that a certain percentage of desirable trees remain on site after development and if removals exceed this threshold, they shall be replaced on a one to one basis. Considering that the trees along the western border are desirable for their use as a buffer for the existing homes (and the fact that the majority of other trees proposed to be saved are undesirable), additional plantings will need to be included to offset the loss of those trees. They should be concentrated along the western boundary to bulk up the effectiveness of the transitioning plantings. -141-