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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />MINUTES FOR APRIL 28,1997 <br />( #14 - Spring Hill Golf Club - Continued) <br />1. The type, extent and reversibility of environmental effects; <br />2. Cumulative potential effects of related or anticipated future projects; <br />3. The extent to which the environmental effects can be mitigated by ongoing public <br />regulatory authorities; and <br />4. The extent to which environmental effects can be anticipated and controlled as a <br />result of other environmental studies undertaken by public agencies or the project <br />proposed, or of EIS's previously prepared on similar projects. <br />At this time, Council must decide if there is a need for an EIS and if they have enough <br />information to make that decision. Staff will need to put together a document reflecting the basis <br />of the decision after direction from Council. A meeting will then need to be held before May 9 <br />to take formal action. <br />is <br />Jabbour asked if staff felt the City had received all the information and responded to all <br />comments. Gaffron replied that responses have been drafted for all comments and the draft <br />responses have been included with the staff memo dated April 25, 1997. The City's <br />environmental consultant, Northern Environmental, is also reviewing these responses and should • <br />respond by Wednesday. <br />Jabbour reviewed the process to this point. An EAW was ordered because of the conversion of <br />more than 80 acres from agricultural use to another use, i.e. golf course. Several agencies have <br />reviewed the EAW and provided their comments. <br />Gaffron noted the main concern of most of the agencies is the Big Woods. The City has no <br />codes which prohibit changes to the Big Woods, s uch as a tree preservation ordinance, nor does <br />the State have any regulations to mitigate the Big Woods. <br />Radio pointed out that the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act and Environmental Policy Act <br />allow private citizens a legal avenue to challenge environmental action where there may be harm <br />to the environment. <br />Jabbour asked what specific items still need to be identified. <br />Gaffron responded that the DNR suggested an inventory of specific changes from what exists <br />today, possibly a biological survey of individual species. <br />10 • <br />