04/22/1996 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

CITY COUNCIL MARCH 25, 1996 regarding holding ponds. He would like something put in place so that this site does not end up with a pond similar to the pond north of the senior housing project which is approximately 20 feet deep. Mr. Ahrens said generally detention ponds are designed to National Urban Runoff Program (NURP) standards or best management practices. The design guidelines indicate that ponds should not be more than five feet in depth. There is a shelf about 10 feet wide around the pond and this shelf does not drop more than one foot in depth so if someone does step off into the pond, the person would not sink immediately. This pond should follow these guideline and be no more than 10 feet in depth. Mayor Landers said that he was not talking about the water level but instead the depth of the bottom of the pond. He explained that a large machine was grading the bottom of the pond near the senior cottages and this machine could not be seen because the pond was so deep. Mayor Landers said he felt that this was ridiculous. Mr. Ahrens said that he would not expect to see a pond such as that pond on the school site. Mr. Patrick Sarver, landscape architect for the school site said that Mr. Ahrens is correct that the design of the pond follows the standards of NURP. The pond will be at a four foot average depth. Possibly the deepest it would get is five or six feet deep in the center. Council Member Neal asked if silt would accumulate in the bottom of the pond. Mr. Sarber said yes. The City requires access to the pond to remove the silt about every 10 years. Mayor Landers said he was uncomfortable about not having an Environmental Impact Study (EIS). Ms. Wyland explained that there is an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) that is being prepared. The EAW is a preliminary step for an EIS. Mr. Ahrens said that at the Council work session last Wednesday, he gave each Council Member the EAW. This document must be reviewed by the City Council and staff and then the City Council will make a declaration concerning the environmental impact either negative or positive. If the City makes a negative declaration, the site plan can move ahead. If the City Council decides that there is a detrimental impact, then the City will go ahead and ask for an EIS which is a very detailed environmental impact statement. Council Member Bergeson said that he is in favor of the site plan. Although the City Council has not provided much input into the site plan, there has been a lot of public input into the planning of the facility and site plan. He said it is a good looking building. In the planning, the School District has chosen to locate the building away from the houses on Elm Street and away from property that may be developed commercially or industrially in the future. Council Member Bergeson said that this was a proper thing to do. In addition, the plan has the support of the Planning and Zoning Board. Council Member Neal said that he felt the site plan was good in that it would keep the children off of the residential property and should keep cars from parking on Elm Street. Ms. Wyland distributed a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Norden which expresses some of their concerns regarding site access which will be addressed by the City Council at a later date. Their second concern references the outdoor recreational facilities and their feeling that PAGE 19