04-15-2019 Planning Commission Packet

Home Browse Search

Willow Bay Sanctuary Conservation Design Application and grading, and construction of custom new homes to comply with lakeshore setback and impervious surface ratio limits. Remove Invasive Species and Diseased Trees Dead, damaged, and diseased trees will be removed during site redevelopment where necessary. Invasive species known to occur on the site include reed canary grass, ground ivy, Canada thistle, common burdock, and common buckthorn. Limited site grading will remove these species from some areas during site redevelopment. Graded areas that are not paved for the access street or driveways will be established with new seeding, lawn, and landscaping. Protect Significant Tree Stands and Woodlands Significant trees will be protected and preserved to the extent feasible. Some tree removal will be required to install the new street, driveways, utilities, and homes. The site includes about 9.03 acres of woodland. Grading for the street, stormwater pond, and homes is expected to remove about 1.56 acre of tree cover, less than 20%of the existing woodland (Figure 6). The Landscape Plan provides for boulevard trees along the proposed street and trees and shrubs as entryway landscaping(Appendix F). Protect Wetlands and Augment Buffers The proposed project will not impact existing wetlands and will establish wetland buffers. MCWD management classifications for wetlands on the site range from Manage 1 to Preserve and corresponding wetland buffer width requirements range from 20 to 75 feet. The project will include wetland buffers ranging from 20 to 75 feet wide to meet MCWD buffer requirements (Figure 6,Appendix E). The project will maintain existing vegetation along the shoreline of Long Lake. Long Lake has a recreational development shoreland classification and a structural setback requirement of 75 feet for sewered single family developments like this project. New homes will be at least 200 feet from Long Lake, meeting or exceeding lakeshore setback and impervious surface ratio requirements (Figure 6,Appendix E). The site includes a watercourse (Other aquatic resource 1) that drains from Wetland 2 to Long Lake (Figure 3). The watercourse channel is about three feet wide and it will be contained within a 20-foot-wide easement. The driveway to the home on Lot 3 will cross over the watercourse, include a culvert, and affect about 90 linear feet of the 1,200-foot watercourse (Figure 6,Appendix E). This crossing will need to be permitted under the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Waterbody Crossings and Structures Rule. The crossing will also be eligible for authorization under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit 29, which covers effects on up to 300 linear feet of stream bed. These permits will be obtained, and the driveway crossing will not cause the loss of wetlands. The project may require additional approvals to install docks on Long Lake for the three lakeshore lots. These approvals are discussed under the section of this narrative titled Maintain and Protect Positive Views. I 5