HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEVEN GENERATIONS (FORMERLY EASTBROOK) OFFICE PARK - PDP - 4-06 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - CORRESPONDENCEIt is our intent to create natural areas in a water quality pond to provide wildlife
habitat previously non-existent on the site.
(f) The project shall be designed to integrate with and otherwise preserve existing
site topography, including but not limited to such characteristics as steepness of
slopes, existing drainage features, rock outcroppings, river and stream terraces,
valley walls, ridgelines and scenic topographic features.
The existing site topography adjacent to the natural features will be mostly
maintained in its original form.
(g) The project shall be designed to enhance the natural ecological characteristics of
the site. If existing landscaping within the buffer zone is determined by the
decision maker to be incompatible with the purposes of the buffer zone, then the
applicant shall undertake restoration and mitigation measures such as regrading
and/or the replanting of native vegetation.
The buffer zone adjacent to the wetlands will be re -seeded with native grasses and
planted with native shrubs to replace the non-native and weedy species that currently
exist. Where possible, native shrubs will be placed in the buffer zone and along the
north end of the site near the Foothills Basin Stormwater Channel and the bike trail.
(h) The project may be designed to provide appropriate human access to natural
habitats and features and their associated buffer zones in order to serve
recreation purposes, provided that such access is compatible with the ecological
character or wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature.
Human.access will not be provided by this proposed development.
(i) Fencing associated with the project shall be designed to be compatible with the
ecological character and wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature.
No fencing is being proposed.
(a) The project shall be designed to preserve or enhance the ecological character or
function and wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature and to minimize or
adequately mitigate the foreseeable impacts of development.
The project is designed to provide an average buffer distance along the wetland of
approximately 50 feet. This zone will be stripped and re -vegetated with native grass
and shrub species. In addition, the northern boundary of the site will be planted in
native species.
The project, including, by way of example and not by way of limitation, its
fencing, pedestrian/bicycle paths and roadways, shall be designed to preserve or
enhance the existence of wildlife movement corridors between natural features,
both within and adjacent to the site.
The potential wildlife movement corridors will not be affected by the site design.
(b) The project shall be designed to preserve significant existing trees and other
significant existing vegetation on the site.
There are no existing trees or significant existing vegetation within the site
boundaries; however, there are several mature Eastern Cottonwood trees that exist in
the Foothills Basin Stormwater Channel at the northwest corner of the site.
(c) The project shall be designed to protect from adverse impact species utilizing
special habitat features such as key raptor habitat features, including nest sites,
night roosts and key feeding areas as identified by the Colorado Division of
Wildlife or in the Fort Collins Natural Areas Policy Plan (NAPP); key
production areas, wintering areas and migratory feeding areas for waterfowl;
key use areas for wading birds and shorebirds; key use areas for migrant
songbirds; key nesting areas for grassland birds; fox and coyote dens; mule deer
winter concentration areas as identified by the Colorado Division of Wildlife or
NAPP; prairie dog colonies over fifty (50) acres in size as included on the
Natural Habitats and Features Inventory Map; key areas for rare, migrant or
resident butterflies as identified in the NAPP; areas of high terrestrial or aquatic
insect diversity as identified in the NAPP; remnant native prairie habitat; mixed
foothill shrubland; foothill ponderosa pine forest; plains cottonwood riparian
woodlands; and any wetland greater than one -quarter ('/<) acre in size.
As the natural area characterization study indicates, there are no raptor habitat
features, nests or roost sites in this area
It is our intent to encourage and enhance the continued use of the area by songbirds.
Where possible, native shrubs will be placed in the buffer zone and along the north
end of the site near the Foothills Basin Stormwater Channel and the bike trail. We
have tried to plant native species and utilize trees, shrubs and ground covers in
unique ways to provide structurally diverse habitat for songbirds.
(e) The project shall be designed so that the character of the proposed development
in terms of use, density, traffic generation, quality of runoff water, noise, lighting
and similar potential development impacts shall minimize the degradation of the
ecological character or wildlife use of the affected natural habitats or features.
V f rAiplt=,yASSC,CIAT S INC
Landscape Architecture Urban Design Planning
February 14, 2006
Response to Buffer Zone Performance Standards
The following is intended to address the City's Buffer Zone Performance Standards
found in Section 3.4.1 Natural Habitats and Features, (E) Establishment of Buffer Zones.
The standards are provided in bold for easy reference.
(1) Buffer Zone Performance Standards. The decision maker shall determine the
buffer zones for each natural habitat or feature contained in the project site. The
buffer zones may be multiple and noncontiguous. The general buffer zone
distance is established according to the buffer zone table below, but the decision
maker shall reduce or enlarge any portion of the general buffer zone distance, if
necessary in order to ensure that the performance standards set forth below are
achieved.
The applicant recognizes that the project site has some unique environmental
qualities within 500 feet. Mike Phelan, a wildlife biologist, with Cedar Creek
Associates has been retained to prepare a Preliminary Ecological Characterization
Study Report. The report states that the project site is vegetated entirely by mowed
non-native grasses and weedy species. Habitat value and wildlife use is limited by
the lack of woody vegetation; dominance by non-native grass species; mowing
practices and surrounding development, roads and recreation activities. Mice, voles
and pocket gophers are the only species likely to establish resident populations. In
addition a variety of songbirds occasionally use the area. No evidence of prairie
dogs was found on the property. Although no indications of wetlands were found
within the site boundaries, wetlands exist in the railroad right-of-way adjacent to the
site. The natural areas issues important for this project site are:
1) The existing wetlands adjacent to the site.
2) The railroad right-of-way use as a wildlife movement corridor.
3) The Nelson Farm Stormwater Detention Pond wetlands and the Foothills Basin
Stormwater channel open space area as potential wildlife movement corridors.
The ECSR recommends that the requirement for the 100- foot development setback
along the existing wetlands be reduced to 50 foot, provided that mitigation measures
are implemented that meet the Buffer Zone Performance Standards. In addition, the
report indicates that a 50 foot buffer setback be used for the potential wildlife
movement corridors west and north of the site. The following outlines how we intend
to achieve this:
Phone 970.224.5828 Fax 970.224.1662
401 West Mountain Ave. Suite 201
Fort Collins, CO 80521-2604
vfripley.com