05-12-1997 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR APRIL 28,1997 (#14 - Spring Hill Golf Club - Continued) 1. 2. 3. 4. The type, extent and reversibility of environmental effects; Cumulative potential effects of related or anticipated future projects; The extent to which the environmental effects can be mitigated by ongoing public regulatory authorities; and The extent to which environmental effects can be anticipated and controlled as a result of other environmental studies undertaken by public agencies or the project proposed, or of ElS's previously prepared on similar projects. At this time. Council must decide if there is a need for an EIS and if they have enough information to make that decision. Staff will need to put together a document reflecting the basis of the decision after direction from Council. A meeting will then need to be held before May 9 to take formal action. Jabbour asked if staff felt the City had received all the information and responded to all comments. Gaffron replied that responses have been drafted for all comments and the draft responses have been included with the sta.T memo dated April 25, 1997. The City's environmental consultant. Northern Environmental, is also review ing these responses and should respond by Wednesday. Jabbour reviewed the process to this point. An EAW was ordered because of the conversion of more than 80 acres from agricultural use to another use, i.e. golf course. Several agencies have reviewed the EAW and provided their comments. Gaffron noted the main concern of most of the agencies is the Big Woods. The City has no codes which prohibit changes to the Big Woods, s uch as a tree preservation ordinance, nor does the State have any regulations to mitigate the Big Woods. Radio pointed out that the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act and Environmental Policy Act allow private citizens a legal avenue to challenge environmental action where there may be harm to the environment. Jabbour asked w'hat specific items still need to be identified. Gaffron responded that the DNR suggested an inventory of specific changes from what exists today, possibly a biological survey of individual species. i