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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFORT COLLINS DISCOVERY MUSEUM - PDP - 6-10 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTA=COM Map 1. Fort Collins Discovery Museum ECS buffers / 41 33 �5� I f 04 -ri9J ! :xv o 7 1 � A=COM The site plan will be designed consistent with the intent of the land use code and further the site design offers features to enhance the ecological functions and values of the site. We ask that you review this ECS to ensure that the performance stands for this project are achieved. If you. have any questions about this ECS or would like to discuss this project further, please feel free to contact me at (970)484-6073. Sincerely, Chris Gaughan Wildlife Biologist._ 0 parking lot that is proposed to be re -graded and re -planted with native plants increasing the. ecological value and storm water runoff into the -Cache la Poudre River. The proposed museum and landscape design also includes a proposal to utilize the current and improved ecological functions of the site design as an educational opportunity. The wildlife habitat off site will be valued as viewing and educational opportunities for one of the central missions of the museum. The small wet meadow between the bike path and Howes Street outfall could also be an area proposed for future reclamation with native wetland plantings and an educational path. j) Timing of development in relation to ecological character The site provides potential habitat for nesting birds. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, the statute makes it unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell birds. This includesthe taking of, feathers, and nests of migratory birds. If construction commences during the bird breeding season, a survey for active nests should occur and nests should be avoided. until activity ends. In addition, CDOW provides for recommended guideline for seasonal buffers for nestingraptors. The current proposal of an August 2010 construction start will be beneficial to mitigate: any disturbance to breeding birds along the adjacent riparian corridor. k) Measures needed to mitigate adverse impacts on natural habitats and features There are no known impacts to natural habitats or features on the site. The permanent impact will occur on previously disturbed areas; primarily consisting of a gravel parking lot, cover crop upland grasses, and sparse native and non-native trees and shrubs. Measures to improve the landscaped portion of the site include; planting native trees, shrubs, and grasses, as well as providing bioswales and wet areas to improve water quality running off the site (Figure 1). These measures taken would improve the ecological character of the site and.provide increased learning opportunities; a central part of the museum mission. The site construction is currently planned to begin after the breeding bird season but if construction should run through. the spring, a nest search is recommended within two weeks of disturbance to avoid Migratory Bird Treaty Act infractions which include the "take" of a bird or active nest. Construction Best Management Practices would be used to mitigate any sedimentation of the Howes Street Outfall or the Cache la Poudre River. Figure 1. Mitigation Measures EITERIOR E%H91T SPACE wmsrrrsr� a E BRuaasEo ( vrt�vzTrox euBUFFERo,� Fv¢m SPABY RKE TRAIL - V A=COM d) Significant native trees or other on -site vegetation The.native and non-native trees listed above appear to have been planted.or suckered in the area during past half century. These trees and.shrubs would not be considered "significant native trees" nor would they be described as holding significant wildlife value. All trees proposed for removal will be transplanted or replaced in accordance with Land Use Code Standards in consultation with the City forester. A construction or tree protection fence would be, erected to contain impacts within an agreed on limit of construction once a final plan is accepted. The tree protection fence would be based on the tree limb zone which estimates the avoidance area to limit root zone compaction. e) Bank, shoreline, high water mark No direct impacts are expected to occur on the bank along the Howes Street Outfall or the bank of the Cache la Poudre River. Indirect impacts related to storm water runoff will be controlled by on.site storm water retention measures listed above in the wetland section. f) Sensitive and Specially Valued Species . There are no known occurrences of habitat for sensitive or specially valued species on the site. *.There are known occurrences of sweetflag (Acorus calamus), smokey eyed brown butterfly (Satyrodes eurydice fumosa), and Preble's meadow jumping mouse (PMJM; Zapus hudsonius. preblei) in the general area but no known or observed habitat for these species on the site or within the buffer zones of Resources of Special Concern (site analysis for plants, 300 feet for PMJM). g) Special Habitat Features The site does not contain any previously known or observed special habitat features. h) Wildlife migration corridors Although the adjacent riparian vegetation along the Howes Street Outfall and the Cache la Poudre River could be considered corridors for some species, the project site itself is disturbed and surrounded by development to the east and south and does not provide a migratory corridor for wildlife. i) General ecological functions The general ecological functions on this site are limited considering the past land use and current vegetation described above. Off site dense riparian trees occur on the north and northwest and a small wet meadow with upland non-native vegetation occurs between the bike path and Howes Street outfall to the southwest. These off site areas have ecological functions consisting of wildlife habitat and water quality improvement. The wildlife species currently using these off site areas are adapted to the frequent human presence. Additionally, the water quality issues associated with the Howes Street outfall were identified as in need of improvement in the Old Town Water Quality Master Plan for Howes, Udall, and Magnolia Basin published in November, 2006. The general ecological functions on site are proposed to be improved in the process of building the museum and designing the landscape and storm water features. The current site consists of a gravel 4 ACOM b) Wetlands Wetlands occur along the banks of the Howes Street outfall to the west of the site and along the Cache la Poudre River to the north. The Cache la. Poudre River and associated wetlands are likely considered to be waters of the U.S. and regulated by the U.S. Corps of Engineers because of their traditional navigability. The Howes Street Ouffall flows perennially from a culvert under Mason Court,. primarily conveying urban runoff from storm drains, into the Cache la Poudre River. Wetlands are present along the Howes Street Outfall and the hydrological connectivity provides the federal nexus for it to be considered a waters of the U.S. No wetlands or waters of the U.S. are proposed to be impacted, including temporary impacts associated grading and landscaping. Further the building and other structures are set back from these wetland features due to floodplain buffers. The Howes Street Outfall wetland is approximately0.5 acres in size and the boundaries are shown in Map 1. No proposed temporary.or permanent direct.impacts to regulated .wetlands or waters of the U.S. are proposed in this project. Once the design is finalized, a letter requesting concurrence of our findings will be submitted to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Indirect impacts to wetland features from storm water runoff off will be no greater than the existing conditions. Storm water will be absorbed with bioswale features, vegetated fences, and water detention areas with capacity for the expected runoff. Runoff will be controlled in a way that will avoid impacts to the wetlands adjacent to the site. The wetlandbuffer zone to wetlands greater than 1/3 acre is regulated by the City to be 100 feet. The Howe's Street Outfall has approximately 0.5 acres of emergent and forested wetland along its .banks. Any location where the site plan will encroach on the 100 foot buffer will be mitigated by an equally sized setback from the 100 foot buffer to maintain an average of 100 feet. These impacts will also be mitigated by on site vegetation improvements. The area proposed to be encroached on within the 100 foot buffer of the.Howes Street Outfall is currently a concrete bike trail with both native and non-native trees, shrubs, and grasses such as cottonwoods, Siberian elm, and smooth brome. This area is proposed to be a re-routed bike trail with native vegetation planted. The area proposed for encroachment within the 300 foot Cache la Poudre River buffer is proposed for improvements;. changing the land cover from the current gravel parking lot to a storm water retention area. The proposal for habitat improvements within the 300 Cache la Poudre buffer will be equal or greater than the proposed buffer encroachments. Access control from the site is proposed to be clearly designated by a perimeter fence. The only access points will lead to the current public bike trail from egress points in the exterior exhibit space. Bike trail access from Mason court will be similar to the current existing scenario. Access to the wetland area during construction would be limited by a construction fence. The Fort Collins Parks Department and the Fort Collins Natural Areas Poudre River Master Plan proposed to be produced this year will define the process of allowing visitors access to wetland areas west and north of the Poudre River bike trail and Mason Court bike trail connector. c) Prominent views The prominent views on this site include the riparian wetland forest to the north and the City of Fort Collins skyline to the south. No viewsheds from the adjacent buildings including Dazbog Coffee to the southwest and J&M automotive to the east will be impacted. The proposed museum will be designed to utilize views of the riparian forest to the north and west for nature oriented viewing and education. A=COM den is buffered by 50 feet as shown in Map 1. A pair of snipe (Gallinago gailinago) was observed actively feeding in the Howes Street outfall and observed using cover in a patch of cattail on the east side of Lee Martinez Park. Snipe use by one pair was not considered to be significant use by shorebirds for this wetland feature thus a 100 foot buffer was selected (Map 1). Other common birds expected to winter along this section of the adjacent Cache la Poudre River include robins, grosbeaks, kingfisher, and waxwings. During spring breeding surveys along this section of the Cache la Poudre River, Fort Collins Natural Areas Program biologists observed 19 other bird species breeding (Table 1). Other wildlife species likely to use the area include mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), raccoon (Procyon lotor), coyote (Canis latrans), mice (Peromyscus sp., Mus sp.), and non-native fox squirrels (Sciurus niger).. Table 1. Breedina Bird Species Observed by Natural Areas Program '` "Common Name= ° ` ° Species Name u` " .vas.; American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis American Robin. Turdus migratorius Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Black -capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus Blue Jay . Cyanocitta cristata Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii Common Grackle Quisca/us quiscula European Starling Stumus vulgaris Great Blue Heron Areea herodias House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus House Wren Passer domesticus Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Northern Flicker (Red -shafted) Colaptes auratus Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia Western Wood -Pewee Contopus sordidulus White -breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia The site provides relatively low wildlife value due to the previous disturbance, limited food and cover provided by the few sparse trees and shrubs, as well as the nonnative annual grasses and forbs. It is unlikely these scattered trees, shrubs, or the upland grasses have much habitat importance when compared to the food, cover, and water provided by the adjacent riparian forest, wetlands, and river. Nesting, roosting, and perching currently occurs within the riparian area and the suite of species here has adapted to the regular human use along the existing bike trail, trailhead parking, railroad, and adjacent commercial development. Species in the area are adapted to a constant human presence and thus will likely prove an excellent opportunity for wildlife viewing and teaching; one of the museum's central missions. M AECOM K��410•Iil March 1, 2010 Mr. Dana Leavitt City of fort Collins 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 240 East Mountain Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524-2873 www.aeoom.Com 970.484.6073 tel 970.4114.8518fax Subject: Fort Collins Discovery Museum Ecological Characterization Study Dear Mr. Leavitt: This memo is being submitted in compliance with the Environmental, Natural, and Cultural Standards of the City of Fort Collins, Land Use Code under Division 3.4.1.D.1 a-k; also known as the Ecological Characterization Study (ECS) triggered by this proposed action within 500 feet of a Natural Habitat Feature. Site Description The proposed Fort Collins Discovery Museum site is located near the. intersection of North College Ave. (U.S. Highway 287) and Cherry Street in the City of Fort Collins, Colorado (Map 1). The site is bounded by the Cache la Poudre River bike path to the north, the Burlington Northern Railroad to the east, Cherry Street to the south, and the Howes Street outfall and Lee Martinez Park to the west. Adjacent buildings include Dazbog Coffee to the southwest and J&M automotive to the east. The legal description for the property is the NE % NE % of Section 11of Township 7 North, Range 69 West, 6th Principal Meridian. The site was visited on December 22, 2009 and January 7, 2010 by an AECOM biologist to perform an ecological assessment and to define a wetland boundary using the 1987 Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) methodology. During the site visit, most of the vegetation (trees, shrubs, and grasses) was dormant and there was an average of 2 inches of snow on the ground and drifts deeper in places. The current landcover on the site includes two gravel parking lots north and south bounding an upland area with sparse native and non-native trees, shrubs, and a grass/forb mixed understory. Trees included pinon pine (Pinus edulis), ponderosa pine _(Pins ponderosa), narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia), honey locust (G/editsia triacanthos), Siberian elm (U/mus pumila), and Russian olive (E/aeagnus angustifolia). The understory description is limited since most of the vegetation was dormant but the general grass and forb composition was Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) around the trailhead and smooth brome (Bromus inermis), kochia (Kochia scoparia), and a cover crop of oat and wheatgrass in the upland. The project site was historically used as a construction dump and most recently converted to a trailhead and gravel parking lot. The buffer zones included in this report include the 300 foot Cache la Poudre (west UGA to College Avenue), 100 foot wetland greater than 1/3 acre (without significant waterfowl/shorebird use), and a 50 foot buffer to an active fox den. This ECS is organized in -the order provided in the Land Use code and each element is discussed below. a) Wildlife As expected in winter, limited wildlife was using the site during the site visit. An active red fox (Vulpes vuples) den was found dug into the railroad bed about 20 feet east of the parcel boundary. This fox