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V / mV ' • ^ I <br />4 <br />To:Chair Lindquist and Planning Commission Members <br />2.1.-“in <br />From;Michael P. Gafiron, Asst. Planning & Zoning Administrator <br />Date:March 20,1997 <br />Subject: Spring Hill Golf Club - Big Woods Discussion <br />First, some numbers: <br />O How much of the 43-acre Big Woods remnant is in Orono vs. in Medina? <br />Orono 1/3, Medina 2/3 <br />How will the golf course tree removal and grading compare to the same work that would be <br />needed to accomodate 2-acre unsewered housing? <br />Area typically cleared for house: <br />" " ” driveway: <br />" " " " initial septic system: <br />Area cleared for roadway (per 200' lot): <br />100’X 150' = 15,000 sf <br />30'X 150’ = 4,500 sf <br />60'X 120' = 7,200 sf <br />25’ X 200’ = 5.000 <br />Total clearing *= 31,700 sf <br />31,700 sf / 87,120 sf lot = 36% of lot cleared (vs. 50% clearing for golf course) <br />Only 1,100 acres of the original 154,000 acres of Big Woods remained in Hennepin County <br />as of June 1995. <br />Next, some discussion of Big Woods impacts: <br />The DNR's mpsLrecent letter acknowledges the Big Woods is within the site and will be <br />impacted, not merely 'adjacent to the site and not impacted' as the DNR's letter in the EAW <br />suggEsb/TTestroying 50% of this 43-acre fragment by regio^g strips of trees to create <br />fairways, will change the nature of th is high quality maple-bassi^dJTorest. In general, it <br />ceases to be a big woods remnant since a big woods community requires an unfiragmented <br />‘ fore^anopy. To some degree, this remnant is already fragmented due to the interspersed <br />wetlands and small areas which were cleared in the past. <br />What are the specific impacts of fragmenting this Big Woods remnant by interspersing it with <br />fairways (or w ith homes)? <br />Cool, moist, shady forest interior is altered; <br />Shade-tolerant species at forest floor are replaced by species typical of open <br />habitat and forest edges; <br />Displacement of native forest shrubs by aggressive exotic species; <br />Decline in the diversity of native forest shrubs and herbs due to increased <br />susceptibility of smaller remaining populations to pollution and physical <br />damage.