06-15-2015 Planning Commission Packet

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MnvuTEs oF� ORONO PLANNIlYG COMIVIISSION MEETII�TG Monday,May 18,2015 6:30 o'clock p.m. Lot 6 contains an existing home and will be accessed via the privatc road. Lot 7 will aLso access off of the driveway in Outlot F. Stickqey reiterated that evary effort is being made to preserve as many traes as possible,and in the event a tree nceds to be removed, it wi.11 be repiaced at a 2:1 ratio. Sticlrney indicated Frank Svoboda will address the Conservation Design. Franlc Svoboda, Svobod�Ecological Resources,stated he has been doing wetlxc�d and wildlife work for Mn/Dot and private entities for a signif cant number of years. Svoboda indicated he pecformed the wetland delineation on this particula,r property. Svoboda noted�ere were a couple of areas ti�at turned out to be non-wetland,a pond that was dug by IVfr.Dayton, and some other wettands that had been enhanced by exc�vation at some point in the past. Svohoda pointed out two areas of tfie prairie. Svoboda stated historically those areas had been agricultural land,and in the mid-1980s it was enarolled in conservation preserve for ten years. After the conservation preserve program expired,it was in conventional agriculture for a few years, and then in 2006,those fields were planted by Prairie Restorations to become a native prairie community. Svoboda noted there was a question earlier by one of the Planning Commissions about what constitutes a Big Woods. Svohoda indicated he had one of his staff people out to examine the woods, In addition, Mark Gronberg's firm performed a comprehensive tree survey and documented the diameter the significant trees as wetl as the species. Tho City's NaUu�al Rasources Inventory was also reviewed which was completed by Bonestroo back in 20{16. Svoboda stated these woods were classified as a maplo- basswoad community of good condition. Svoboda indicated he also looked at the Field Guide to Native Flant Communities in Minnesota,which is utilized by the MN Department af Natural Resources. According to that guide,this particular area is in the eastern broadleaf forest and has been classified as a sugar maple forest. Svoboda stated in order to gain some understanding of tt�is forest,he laoked at a 1937 aerial photo, because when he looked at the distribution of the size of the trees and the inventory that was comploted by Merk Gronberg,the#rees ranged in size from 8 to 24 inches. Svoboda stated on some of the lots that will have some impact to the trees,those trees were 8 to 18 inches in diameter,which indicates that ti�ey are fairly young trees. Same of the other trees were 22 to 24 inches in diameter, indicating they were older trees. Svoboda stated in looking at the 1937 aerial phtitograph,he abserved in the vicinity of the Iot to the left of the cul-do-sac a gap in the canopy that showed there was some type of timber management or timber removal at sume point in time,which was fairly comm.on in wooded areas. Svoboda stated another thing he noticed in reviewing the groperty is thst there was not much history of grazing,particularly if the area has been Ieft abandonod. Svoboda nobed there is some feacing around the property but nothing to indicate ihat thare was any hoavy grazing that took place. Svobocla noted tho 8 to 24inch trees seem to be kind of randomly distributed thronghout the wooded area. The Field Guide to Native Plant Ccsmmunities has a description for three differen�t age categories for a maple-basswood forest. Young forests are 0 to 35 years of age,transition forests are 35 to 75 years of age, and mature forests,which are 75 years of age and older. Svoboda stated this forest appears to fall into all�age categories,which is verification of�e fact that there had been some selective tree removal in past years. Page 13 of 37