20240424 Environmental Board Packet Combined

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ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AGENDA ITEM 7A STAFF ORIGINATOR: Andy Nelson, Environmental Coordinator MEETING DATE: April 24th, 2024 REQUEST: Discussion only. TOPIC: Natures Refuge North—Restoration and Tree Mitigation Plan BACKGROUND Natures Refuge North is a proposed subdivision with 99 single-family residential lots on an approximately 59.3 acres site located just north of the Natures Refuge development on Main Street. The Environmental Board first reviewed a concept plan for the Natures Refuge North project at the October 25th, 2023 meeting. Since the initial meetings with the Environmental Board and Planning and Zoning Board,the developer, M/1 Homes, has been working through the recommendations and requirements to further explore the feasibility of the project. A tree inventory has been completed that identified 6,400 trees on the site, with approximately 4,600 removals. The developer's estimate for replacement trees required is 3,900 trees. This would equate to a tree mitigation cost ranging from $1.3-$2.3 million dollars. While all of these numbers are approximate and refinement of the project plan is ongoing, these numbers could impact the feasibility of the project. The developer has reached out to the City in the hopes of finding a collaborative solution that may lead to a better long-term outcome for the outlots and natural areas. Additionally,the developer continues to find ways to minimize impacts to existing trees. Emily Becker, Land Development and Entitlements Manager with M/l Homes, will be present at tonight's meeting to discuss the development and potential alternatives/supplements to the tree mitigation. While the tree mitigation section of the landscape ordinance works well for most projects, there are sites for which strict adherence to mitigation numbers may not lead to the best outcome from the perspective of native plant communities. Natures Refuge North, for example, is located in an area with many rare and protected species of plants and animals that rely on certain habitat conditions for their survival. Many wetland plants are adapted to full sunlight and may not persist beneath heavy tree canopy. Oak savanna habitat, which was also common in the area historically, is characterized by sparse tree canopy cover(5-50%)with prairie grasses and forbs in the understory. Wetlands and oak savanna ecosystems both exhibit higher biodiversity than the closed-canopy woodland currently on the site. The restoration of these historic and rare ecosystems may be preferable to strict adherence to the tree mitigation numbers required by the Zoning Ordinance. Flexibility is provided for in the ordinance language and supported by precedence set by other sites (including Natures Refuge). • City Code Section 1007.049 (10)(e) states "Areas where trees are being removed for ecological restoration in accordance with a city approved restoration plan are not subject to the tree preservation and mitigation." 1