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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSALUD FAMILY HEALTH CENTER LOT 4 - FDP200011 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT Salud Family Health Center Natural Habitat Buffer Zone Monitoring Plan March, 2021 PO Box 272150 Fort Collins, CO 80527 Salud Family Health Center Natural Habitat Buffer Zone Monitoring Plan Introduction TheSalud Family Health Center(Applicant) is a new medical and dental outpatient clinicproposedfor developmentin northwest Fort Collins at 1830 West Laporte Avenue.The project would involve the relocation of an existing building just a few feet west of its current position, so that it no longer overlaps the floodplain, which would then serve as a permanent clinic after renovation. The project would also include construction of off-street parking and a public street for access.Development is planned to occur in several phases, which will be submitted to the City of Fort Collins (City) in separate Development Plans. This document is associated with the Proposed Development defined by the Salud Family Health Center (Salud) Final Development Plan (FDP) submitted to the City in June, 2020 (Ripley Design).The Saludproject is located on a 12.5-acre parcel (Site) divided into 6 lots; the Proposed Development would occur entirely within the boundaries of Lot 4. An Ecological Characterization Study (ECS)of the Site was conductedin 2015, as required by Article 3, Section 3.4.1 of the City of Fort Collins (City) Land Use Code (LUC).The ECS(Cedar Creek 2015) identified several natural habitats and/or habitat featureson Site whichstipulate a Natural Habitat Buffer Zone (NHBZ)to mitigate potential impacts on ecological character and quality.Those identified include the Larimer County Canal No. 2(Canal) and the woodland habitat along its banks, which together comprise a woodland riparian corridor; upland woodland habitat; and two large, isolated tree stands located to the north of the riparian corridor. Additionally, a raptor nest was observed in the trees adjacent to the Canal in the corner of Lot 4,which would stipulate a seasonal timing restriction on development if determined to be active. A follow-up survey was conducted in March 2021 to confirm that Site conditions are consistent with those described in the ECS, survey for potential raptor nesting activity, and conduct a noxious weed surveyto supplement the list of those reported in 2015. The FDPpresentsthe NHBZ delineations on Site stipulated by LUC standards compared to the NHBZ delineations proposed by the Applicant, the latter which wasmodifiedin accordance with LUC guidelines.Approval of the proposed NHBZdelineation is contingent upon the Applicant completing additional mitigation requirementsprescribed by the City’s Environmental Planning Department.Mitigation measures have been designed for the Site to meet the goal of improving the ecological function andenhancing the habitat quality in the NHBZ’s, primarily by means of restoring a native vegetation community and utilizing monitoring and management strategies to increase the likelihood of ascertaining restoration success. This Natural Habitat Buffer Zone Monitoring Plan(Plan)presentsamonitoring approachwhich has been designed to ascertainsuccessful restoration in the NHBZ’s.The objective of this Plan is to describe the methods and procedures that will be used to facilitate the assessment of restoration establishment and progress, identify of potential issues, andgather information to inform adaptive management activities.Implementation of these guidelines is recommended to reduce the cost and improve the quality of restoration outcomes in a manner that allows for flexibility when deciding between comparable treatments based on site-specific conditions.Weed management is discussed within the broader context of our proposed approach in this document and detailed more specifically in the Weed Management Plan (2021) prepared as a supplement to this Plan. Existing Conditions Results of the 2015 and 2021 field evaluations indicate the majority of the Site can be characterized by non-native grasslands, portions of which are co-dominated by alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and may be better described as a hayfield. Dominant species include crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), smooth brome (Bromus inermis), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis),and alfalfa. Smaller populations of prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), kochia (Bassia scoparia), prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare), and other weedy species (some noxious) occur in varying sizes across the uplands.Sporadic tree stands and larger stretches of upland and riparian woodlands characterize a smaller portion of vegetation on Site. These are comprised of a variety of native and non-native tree species, the more frequently occurring being Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila), eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), boxelder (Acer negundo), and black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia). Vegetationcommunities in Lot 4 are consistent with those observed throughout the Site. Upland vegetation can be characterized by either a smooth brome/alfalfa-dominated community or non-native grassland community, interspersed by noxious and weedy species. Upland woodlands, including those connected to riparian woodlands and isolated stands on Site, are comprised of boxelder, crack willow (Salix fragilis), Siberian elm, netleaf hackberry (Celtis reticulata), and several other species. Riparian woodlands are dominated by Siberian elm and cottonwoods intermixed with a variety of other species. A shrubby understory is below, dominated by American plum (Prunus americana), common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), and chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). The Canal is largely forested, with banks dominated by reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) and smooth brome. A variety of noxious weeds were identified on Site during the 2015 ECS evaluation. Weed conditions were surveyed again in 2021 to better inform the Weed Management Plan. Results of these surveys are described in the Weed Management Plan supplementary to this document. NHBZ Goals and Objectives In accordance with City of Fort Collins guidelines (LUC 3.4.1), the NHBZ’s should be managed in accordance with the following goals: 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. Preserve or enhance the existence of wildlife movement corridors between natural habitats and features, both within and adjacent to the site. Enhance the natural ecological characteristics of the Site. If existing landscaping within the NHBZ 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 re-grading and/or the replanting of native vegetation. Provide appropriate human access to natural habitats and features and their associated NHBZ’sin order to serve recreation purposes, provided that such access is compatible with the ecological character or wildlife use of the natural habitat or feature. The landscaping plan for the Site describes the seed mix and plantings that will be implemented in the NHBZ’s. The monitoring and reporting approach presented in this Plan is designed to support the meeting of goalsthrough quantitative evaluation of revegetation establishment and progression in the NHBZ’s. Results of this approach can be used to identify problem areas or potential issues early in the restoration process, inform adaptive management activities (i.e. weed management, soil amendments), and assess progress towards the meeting of success criteriaindicativeof favorable NHBZ restoration. Monitoring and Reporting Protocol The applicant will be responsible for ensuring execution of the monitoring and reporting protocol described below. Schedule Surveys will occur twice a year, once in the spring and once in the summer. The spring survey will be implemented across the entirety of the Site; the summer survey will be limited to within the NHBZ’s. In the spring, a qualified ecologist will traverse the entirety of the Site to assess noxious weed conditions on Site and locate noxious weed populations. This should occur prior to implementation of weed management activities, so that the results may be used to inform adaptive management strategies such as treatment method, intensity and frequency of control, and potential problem areas. This effort will result in optimized and targeted weed control efforts and provide sufficient time to manage weeds prior to seed production. In the summer, at the peak of the growing season, a qualified ecologist will implement the quantitative procedure described in section 4.2 in the NHBZ’s undergoing native restoration to measure vegetative ground cover. The ecologist will also traverse the NHBZ’s to identify if there are any problematic areas onsite. During these traverses, the observer is vigilant for: areas of poor seedling emergence, indicators of soil fertility problems, noxious weeds or invasive plant infestation, excessive erosion, and any other similar revegetation / restoration related issues. Annual monitoring will continue for a total of three years following restoration of the NHBZ. A brief annual report containing survey findings, discussion, and necessary recommendations (if any), will be provided to the City of Fort Collins by September 30th of each year. This will give the City of Fort Collins and the Applicant ample time to discuss and implement adaptive management to address any underperforming areas prior to when on-the-ground treatment implementation would be needed, if determined necessary. Vegetation Ground Cover Sampling Methodology Cover sampling will be conducted at ten sample points in the southernmost NHBZ along the canal and five sample points in the restored portion of theNHBZjust north of the Canal (Tree Group C). At each sample point, ground cover will be measured using ocular estimates in a 1 meter by 1 meter quadrat. Sample locations will be determined randomly prior to field evaluation. Upon reaching the sample point, the quadrat will be placed on the ground and the ecologist will estimateand record vegetative ground cover by species to the nearest 1%. All species, including noxious and invasive species, and their respective percent ground cover will be recorded. In addition, percent cover of litter, rock, and bare ground exposure will be estimated and recorded; when summed with vegetation estimates, these will produce 100% coverage of ground cover at each sample point. Permanent Photo Points Three permanent photo-point (marked with GPS coordinates) on the Site will be established to visually catalog vegetation progress; two in the southernmost NHBZ along the canal and one in the NHBZ just north of the canal. Photo-points should be determined in the field at a location representative of the NHBZ area, each location marked with GPS coordinates, and each designated with a number which will remain consistent throughout the 3-year monitoring period. Each photo-point should be documented during the summer evaluation at the peak of the growing season, for each of the annual monitoring efforts that will follow restoration. At each point, four photos will becollected, one each in a cardinal compass direction (N-E-S-W), using a photo board that is visible in each frame to indicate the photo-point number. Success Criteria During the third year of annual monitoring, a determination onif vegetation establishment in the NHBZ’shas been successful will be made by City Planning. This determination will be based onan inspection(s) of the Site anda comparison of restoration performance to success criteria, as indicated by the annual monitoring survey results. The developer and/or landscape contractor is responsible for adequate seedling coverage and growth at the time of final stabilization, as defined by state and local agencies. If final stabilization has not achieved to the satisfaction of the agency, the developer and/or landscape contractor shall be responsible for implementing additional corrective measures to satisfy final vegetative requirements for closeout. Restored vegetation communities should be considered established when: Total vegetative cover (excluding noxious weeds) meets or exceeds 70%, with no bare spots larger than one square-foot; Noxious weed total cover does not exceed 10%; and Vegetation establishment is deemed acceptable by City Planning Services. The City of Fort Collins Environmental Planning Department has the authority to deem revegetation established in lieu of meeting success criteria, as well as withhold approval despite meeting success criteria, if they so choose. Literature Cited and Data Sources Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 2015. Ecological Characterization Study (ECS) for the Salud Family Health Center Project at the Former Forney Industries Site. August26, 2015. Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 2021. Salud Family Health Center Weed Management Plan. March, 2021. City of Fort Collins. 2021. Land Use Code. March 5, 2021. Ripley Design, Inc. 2020. Salud Family Health Center Final Development Plan. June 24, 2020.