11/30/2021 Environmental Board Minutes

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Environmental Board November 30, 2021 Page 4 APPROVED MINUTES 4. Buffer and screen standards have not been met for the west perimeter, as a triangulated, double row of plants is required. Plants with a shorter mature height (2-3’) should be used to form this buffer. 5. Canopy cover requirements have not been met. 6. Foundation landscape standards have not been met. 1 large tree and 3 large shrubs will be required for the west face of the building. 7. Autumn Blaze maples have poor structure and are prone to defects. Replace Autumn Blaze maple with another variety of maple or another species. 8. The landscape details indicate MnDOT 33-261 will be used for the stormwater management areas, but MnDOT 33-262 is indicated on the C7 details page. This should be changed to match the landscape details page (33-261). 9. The landscape plan indicates sod will be used in all areas not planted with MnDOT 33- 261, but the C7 details page indicates MnDOT 25-131, low maintenance turf seed. Clarify which of the two turf types will be used and ensure plans match. 10. Irrigation should only be needed for the areas with turf, trees, or shrubs. The stormwater seed mix areas should not require irrigation. Mr. Parsons asked about the known flow of stormwater to the city system and if there was an estimation of what increase could be expected with this project. Mr. Nelson stated that the Engineering department looks through the project plans with more detail. Mr. Sullivan asked how deep the project’s catch basins are. Mr. Nelson answered by showing the contour lines that indicate elevation details. Mr. Sullivan wanted to know if the stormwater pollution prevention plan mentioned rain gardens or rain guardians. Mr. Nelson responsed that rain guardians would be used and briefly described them. Mr. Sullivan recommended that the Board take a trip to see some of these features in the future. Mr. Parsons asked if the trees that needed to be mitigated were part of the hardcover canopy or if they were separate. Mr. Nelson stated that they are separate. They are based on removals and where those removals occurred. Some of the planted trees can overlap to fulfill more than one requirement. He added that he will have to take another look at the calculations before the final recommendations are sent to the applicant. Mr. Sullivan asked about the process of having an applicant pay a fee in lieu of planting a tree where there isn’t room for one on site.